


Invigorating

by Crunchysunrises



Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anita Blake
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, Community: hc_bingo, Community: kink_bingo, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Multi, Original Character(s), Scars, Timelines, Timey-Wimey, Twisting The Hellmouth, Vampire Slayer(s), Vampires, Were-Creatures, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:27:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 79,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crunchysunrises/pseuds/Crunchysunrises
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Can Asher come out to play?"

**Author's Note:**

> **Content Notes:** graphic depictions of violence, character death  
>  **Additional Notes:** Written for the Het Big Bang challenge. This story fulfills the "hunger/starvation" square on my Hurt_Comfort Bingo Card, the "WILD CARD - washing/cleaning" square on my Kink Bingo card, and the "Chemistry" square on my Cotton Candy Bingo Card. Also answers Challenge #5765 (Inglorious) and Challenge #4842 (Vampires' Superiority Complex) on the Twisting the Hellmouth Website and the TTH100 Challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#079 Stumble**

The club's darkness throbbed with synthetic music, flashing lights, and pounding human heartbeats.

Tired and angry, Asher stood at a railing on the upper floor and watched the young humans below him grind and gyrate against each other. He had been tired and angry for a very long time. When Jean-Claude joined him, Asher pretended to ignore him. Instead, he picked Anita and Nathanial out of the crowd.The boy flowed like water and sin.Anita jerked and flailed.

Asher allowed his eyes to wander away from the game that he could never figure out the rules for or even get a standing invitation to play.

Elsewhere on the dance floor, a young blond woman was as remarkable as her partner was forgettable.In another lifetime, Asher would have been her next partner and she would have been his next conquest.In this lifetime, all he could bring himself to do was stand in the shadows, admire her, and feel hateful toward himself, his scars, the men who ruined him, Julianna for leaving him, Jean-Claude for failing him, and Julianna's God for allowing it.He hated the blonde woman for reminding him of all that he had lost.The hate swallowed his anger, his tiredness, his despair.

Then something extraordinary happened.

The blonde looked up from her boring partner's perfect face and directly at Asher as if he was not shrouded by a careful arrangement of hair and shadows.As if he were any other ordinary man in this club with an ordinary face.

She smirked.And winked.

Asher stumbled backward, away from the railing and the woman.He brushed his fingertips against the fall of his hair.

Jean-Claude pulled his gaze from his human servant to grace Asher with a mild, enquiring expression.

Asher shook his head.

Then Asher fled the club.

A week later, Asher was in another club, watching a moron argue with a zombie.The humor was trite, the zombie reeked, and the crowd's tittering was irritating.Across the room, the baby vampire was bobbing and weaving through his staff and customers.His lime green suit and hideous light-up tie were crimes against good taste.Cringing, Asher turned his attention back to the zombie.

When the much younger vampire finally made his way to Asher’s side, Asher stood and murmured, “I'm here to see your ledgers.”

As Willie McCoy bobbed his head and babbled about how welcome Asher was, a customer strolled up to Willie McCoy.

“Excuse me but which way is it to the ladies’ room?”

While Willie gave her directions, Asher tried to remember where he had seen the woman before.

 _I saw her in Danse Macabre,_ Asher realized. The shock of the chance meeting reminded Asher unpleasantly of being dropped headfirst into an icy river.

“Thanks,” she chirped with a smile for McCoy and a lingering look for Asher before she sauntered away.

Asher followed Willie to the office.While he inspected the ledgers, a corner of his mind lingered on the woman's lovely green eyes.

 

 

**#001 Moon**

_Jean-Claude is either enraptured by this mediocre interpretation of La Bohemia or he is doing an excellent job of pretending to be._ Asher thought as he tried to ignore the hand rubbing over his kneecap.

Anita was seated between himself and Jean-Claude, her head resting on Jean-Claude’s shoulder.Her closed eyelids and slow, deep breathing indicated her surrender to sleep.Behind them, Asher could feel Richard’s all encompassing glare.On Asher’s other side, the visiting master split his attention between touching Asher inappropriately and leering at the cast.Members of the Lover of Death's line were always interested in fully experiencing the grotesque.

“Pardon me,” Asher murmured as he slid out from under the hand slowly trailing up the inside of his thigh.He strode out of the box, down the stairs and out the front door.Asher stood in the warm nighttime air and tried to find a shred of his calm.

When that failed, Asher tapped out a cigarette then fumbled in his pockets for his lighter.As he took his first deep drag of bitter, soothing nicotine, Asher’s eyelids fluttered shut from the sheer relief it brought him.Eyes closed, he enjoyed several more soothing drags before the sense of being watched prompted him open his eyes.

 _That woman again,_ Asher though as his eyes lingered on her.

She was across the street and about two entryways down from him.The moon’s light traced the drawn lines and curves of her face in silver and gilded her blonde hair.Shadows hid her face but the tilt of her head was tired.Stranger though she was, in that moment Asher pitied her.At least he was not alone anymore.

_It would be irresponsible to abandon Jean-Claude._

The woman shifted her weight, allowing the ambient light to illuminate her profile. Her smile bunched up her cheek and resettled the shadows at the corner of her mouth.

As a late bus rattled by, Asher dropped his cigarette butt and ground it out under his heel.

_I’ll speak with the woman then return to my original party. I will be brief._

But when the bus finally passed, he was alone.Looking up and down the street and into the shadows did not yield her.She was so well and truly gone that it was as if she had never been there.

Feeling oddly disappointed, Asher trudged back into the opera house.

 

 

**#076. Deceit**

The next time Asher saw the woman, he was sitting at a table in the VIP section of Dance Macabre and she was dancing like a pulse.Those who were drawn in by her animal magnetism, whether human or otherwise, were rendered pale shadows by her sheer presence.Even Asher felt the pull of her.

Next to him, Jean-Claude deliberately shifted his weight to draw a portion of Asher's attention back to himself.In Asher's ear, he murmured, "I could make a fortune off of such a woman."

Asher snorted.

"Aren't you supposed to have eyes for your human servant alone?" he asked, a trifle snidely.

Jean-Claude drew away from him.Asher's side tingled with his loss.

 _It's better this way,_ Asher told himself. _It's easier not to want him when he is not so close._

After two months in St. Louis, Asher knew that the wordless promises that Anita made with her eyes, her smiles, her hands were false.She had never had any intention of sharing Jean-Claude or herself with him.And Jean-Claude, who was besotted with her, would deny her nothing in the pursuit of her happiness.That her strictures left him unhappy, weakened, and slowly starving, was incidental to him.

Although Jean-Claude had always sworn up and down that he had no use for emotions, he had ever been helpless in the face of his own.It was why he so vigilantly guarded against his heart's yearnings, lest they carry him away.Jean-Claude was ill-equipped to survive a careless beloved.

Asher judged Anita careless only on her best days.

In the present, Asher let his gaze wander to where Jean-Claude's human servant was dancing with Jean-Claude's favorite wolf.He was all quick, graceful lines.She was all clumsy movements and ill-disguised irritation.

 _The wolf would look better with the Mademoiselle,_ Asher thought as his eyes drifted back to the blond woman.She was now facing in his general direction and dancing with a new partner.Someone ruled by the moon if the new partner's grace was anything to go by. _And he would be a more suitable partner than her current one._

The blonde woman must have thought her current partner substandard because her head was tilted back at an angle that allowed her to scan the crowd around her.She tilted her head back further, apparently scanning the part of the second floor that she could see from her position.

Asher expected her gaze to slide over him on its path to Jean-Claude.He had long ago accepted that it was his place in the world to remain unseen, unnoticed, and unwanted.

Instead, the woman's gaze stopped on him.She looked surprised.And then she smiled.

Asher flinched back, drawing his shadows around himself protectively.

"Asher?" asked Jean-Claude.He was looking in the woman's general direction."What has happened?"

"Nothing," Asher lied, risking another glance.The blonde woman was already gone, swallowed up by the mass of writhing bodies.Anita and the wolf appeared to have disappeared too."Where's Anita?"

"Here," said the woman in question.Asher turned to see her gracelessly flop down across from himself.When Jason poked her in the shoulder, Anita scooted around the circle of the booth until she ended up on Jean-Claude's other side."Why?"

"No reason," Asher said as Jason slid into the seat across from him.Anita scowled at Asher, as if she suspected him of deceit.

"Ma petite," said Jean-Claude as he bravely took one of Anita's hands in his own."Come dance with me."

"I hate dancing," Anita said with the thoughtless ease of a well-worn rote."And I'm thirsty.And my feet hurt."

Asher caught the flicker of disappointment in the angle of Jean-Claude's nose and the tilt of his nearest eyebrow.

"You danced with Jason," Asher argued, more for Jean-Claude's sake than because he cared."Why not with us?"

"Jason was being annoying."

"Speaking of annoying..." murmured the werewolf as he slid out of his seat."Excuse me for a second."

Asher watched Jason walk toward the velvet rope which blocked off the VIP section from the other parts of the club.On the other side of the flimsy barrier, the blonde woman was arguing with a wererat nearly twice her size.Jason and the blonde woman murmured together for a few moments, arguing, before Jason huffed a sigh and returned to their table.

"Jean-Claude isn't going to sign her breasts or bite her," Anita immediately declared."Go tell her that."

"That's not what she wants," Jason said.He grinned mischievously at Asher as if they shared some private joke."She came to ask for a dance."

"No," Anita said immediately."Jean-Claude's dancing with me."

Jean-Claude smiled at his human servant."As you wish, ma petite."

"She wants to dance with _him,"_ Jason said, nodding at Asher.

Asher's head whipped toward the velvet rope and the blonde woman standing behind it.She grinned and waved at him cutely.Then she playfully crooked her finger at him.

Asher pointed at himself.

The woman smiled and nodded.She crooked her finger again.The gesture was somehow more imperious the second time.

Jean-Claude lightly touched Asher's shoulder, startling him.

"Go on," he said."Before ma petite changes her mind."

When Asher slide out of his seat, the blonde woman's face lit up.It had been a very long time since anyone, male or female, had looked at him like that.It was for that reason alone that Asher went to the velvet rope, intending to decline her invitation in person.

When he was close enough, her hand darted under the velvet rope to grip his.It was small, warm, and calloused.The touch was shocking.

That was the only reason that Asher was mute as the wererat manning the rope unhooked it for him.Asher led her through an Employees Only exit, down a hallway, and up another set of stairs to one of the small platforms hanging in the rafters.

"Take a break," he growled to the gyrating vampire as he unbolted the gate in the waist high barrier surrounding the platform.

The fledgling meekly slipped away, leaving Asher with the platform and the girl.She claimed the platform without hesitation and started dancing even before Asher had finished securing the safety door.Up there, the shadows were softer and more plentiful and there was only the one human girl to keep track of.Asher, who was unfamiliar with the most modern forms of dance, learned to partner the blonde quickly.

"You're a great dancer!" she shouted over the music.

"Thank you."Asher leaned down to press his perfect cheek to her own.In her ear, he murmured, "How is it that you saw me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Asher's poor, dead heart squeezed and his fingers tightened on the woman's waist.There was absolutely nothing that he could say to that.Instead, he enjoyed it.

At the end of the night, when Asher walked his partner to her car, he impulsively said, "I come to this club on most Thursday nights."

Jean-Claude insisted on it.Thursday night was Ladies' Night.

The woman smiled up at him tiredly."I'll remember that."

 

 

**#026 Money**

Asher watched the women wave money at the shimmying Jason and marveled.Modern American women were nothing like his Julianna – hard where she had been soft, shamelessly demanding where she would have prettily begged, and laughing where she would have been mortified.

He watched as a familiar blonde woman blush and tuck a bill into Jason's g-string. Her tablemates cheered and Jason laughed as he whirled away.Next to Asher, Jean-Claude leaned back in his chair, his limbs heavy with their lust for his wolf.

The blonde laughed as she watched Jason go, her skin flushed with embarrassment or excitement or perhaps a mixture of the two.Then she twisted in her chair to slant a sly look at Asher.There was left over lust in her expression from her game with Jason and genuine good humor.

Even though he expected it, her gaze still sent a little jolt down Asher's spine.

Then her eyes slid from him to Jean-Claude.There had been a time when she would have looked at him and looked no further.But that time was long past.Something in Asher's chest ached.

There was definite approval in her gaze as she admired the Master of the City.

Then her gaze slid back to him.Despite himself, Asher straightened in his seat.She arched her eyebrows at him, flicked her eyes in Jean-Claude’s direction, and finally raised her fruity pink drink to Asher in a silent toast.Then she turned her back on him and whooped at the newest dancer.

“That woman...”

Asher cut Jean-Claude off.“I do not understand why she is dressed up like a cheerleader.”

“It is a ritual sometimes performed at American bachelorette parties,” Jean-Claude said brusquely. "My goldfinch, please..."

"Tell me more."

"About the woman?"

"About American bachelorette parties."

Jean-Claude sighed.

 

 

**#034 Luck**

“I don’t understand why Asher can’t–”

“He does not have time, ma petite.He must be in his office in twenty minutes in order to greet our very important guest.”

“Let me test my understanding.It's more important to you that Asher greet some stupid contest winner than that he spend time with us.”

Asher tensed, loving and hating both Anita and Jean-Claude for different reasons in that moment.

“Ma petite, please.”At her obstinate expression, Jean-Claude nearly sighed.Asher glared at Anita.Jean-Claude never used to bite back sighs of irritation.“It would be better for Asher if he went.”

Anita’s eyes widened and her expression twisted with her anger.

"I was just trying to do something nice for him!"

Asher left the room before Anita and Jan-Claude could begin quarreling in earnest.He made sure to slam the door behind him.

He was still feeling angry and hurt and hateful when he stormed into his office in the circus.Asher was still raging when the knock on his door came.A moment later, the door swung open.

“The contest winner is here for her tour,” said his assistant.

Asher nodded, his expression falling into pleasant, blank lines."Show her in."

A moment later that blonde woman strode into his office.Asher, his emotions churning, went absolutely still.

She examined the room.He examined her.She was smaller and younger than he remembered and her eyes were greener.When Asher's assistant slipped out of the room, the blond fixed her attention on Asher.Her examination made his stomach clench.Asher made certain that the shadows were flattering and that his hair was properly placed to hide the scars.

She grinned.

“So what kind of crazy luck does a girl need to win a contest that she never entered?”

 

 

**#067 Immortal**

“This place is seriously disturbed,” Buffy declared as she watched the lamia and her harem writhe in the center ring with obvious fascination.“People actually pay to come here?”

“You did.”

“My ticket was free.What are they?”

“Lamia.She is the last of her kind and said to be immortal."

"Great.Every world needs more immortal snake-people in it," Buffy said flatly. "What about them?Those other ones look sort of... male... and very snake-y."

"They are taking treatments from the Lamia.She hopes that one of those men will survive the process and become her mate.”

“They were normal men?Human?”

“Yes.”

"And they chose... that?"

"Yes."

The woman subsided into silence, a little frown crinkling the skin between her eyes.

Asher was trying to remember some insipid bit of circus-related trivia to tell her – something other than that he once sat in her seat and watched a council member rape a woman – when Buffy next spoke.

“Y’know I thought you were following me.I kept looking up and there you were.”

“I was in those places on business!”

“Really?”

“For the Master of the City," Asher said stiffly.

“Oh.You work for him?Does your boyfriend?”

Flashes of memories – Jean-Claude and Julianna in the bath, Jean-Claude reading by candlelight, Jean-Claude's laughter – cut into his foolish heart.Asher snarled, “Jean-Claude is not my lover!”

The girl wrenched her gaze from the lamia to stare at Asher.

_What does she see when she looks at me?The scars?_

Even though she sat on his good side, Asher still tilted his head away from her to make sure that all she saw of him was his perfect profile.

“Sheesh.No need to get your panties in a twist. I made a mistake. No big deal.”

“He made the same one regarding you and I,” Asher admitted bitterly.

He had never been particularly good at holding his tongue.There had only ever been a few reliable ways to silence Asher and not even Jean-Claude would utilize those methods anymore.

If Jean-Claude could not bear to touch him, would Julianna have been able to, had she lived?Asher prayed that she would have, but Jean-Claude made him doubt.And if not even Julianna or Jean-Claude would touch him, why would this terribly young creature wish to?And what right did Jean-Claude have to taunt him with her?

“Wanna go shopping Friday night, Asher?”

 

 

**#063 Computer**

He was sitting next to Jean-Claude, watching his former lover search for keys on the computer’s keyboard then carefully depress them with his forefingers, when Buffy breezed into Asher's office.Asher's assistant was on her heels.

Buffy put her hands on her hips and cocked one side aggressively.

“I can’t believe you stood me up!”

“I was under the impression that I declined to come,” Asher said dryly as he quietly admired her.She was very pretty.

“I told you that it wasn’t really an invitation.I remember telling you so right after you said that.”

“Buffy–”

“You’re the only person I’ve met who doesn’t dress like he’s blind.No shoulder pads, no neon fabrics,” her eyes slid to Jean-Claude as she added, “and no ruffles.”

Jean-Claude leveled a blank look at her that made Asher's assistant blanch and back away.Asher’s lips twitched.

She shifted her focus to Jean-Claude.“Can Asher come out to play?”

Asher expected Jean-Claude to ignore her or bait her or say something snide in defense of his beloved ruffles.

“Yes, Mademoiselle Buffy.”Jean-Claude stressed her name in such a way as to press the point that her given name was at least as ridiculous as his beloved ruffles.Buffy scowled at him.“Asher may... play with you.”

Asher gaped.Buffy grinned triumphantly.Jean-Claude smirked and made shooing motions.

“Run along, Asher.I will be fine finishing this on my own.”

While Asher sputtered protests, the girl grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of his seat.She grinned and waved at the Master of the City over her shoulder.

“Thanks, J.C.!I’ll have him back to you before dawn.”

The last thing Asher saw as the surprisingly strong woman hustled him out of the room was Jean-Claude pressing his lips together in annoyance.

 

 

**#007 School**

“We always go out on Tuesday.”

“We do not.”Asher bit out as he scribbled a quick note on a document.It was mostly in English.

“You promised.”

“I promised nothing.”

“Well…not in so many words.But when I left on Friday I said, ‘I’ll see you Tuesday.’And you didn’t disagree so you must have been agreeing.Silently.”

“I am certain that you can replace me with a dozen handsome young men in a matter of minutes.”

If his tone was angry and bitter, he had a right to be.She didn’t want him.No one wanted him.He didn’t even want to be stuck inside of himself.

The girl stared at him.Asher ignored her.

He was in the middle of going over the weekly invoices when the girl finally said, “I’m lonely.You’re lonely.I thought you might understand that.”

Asher froze.Slowly he looked up at her.

“A lovely young woman such as yourself has no reason to be lonely.”

“I could say the same thing about you.Except for the woman part because, uh, clearly you’re not.”Buffy held her small, tanned hand out to him.“C’mon.I thought you might like a museum better than the mall.There’s an impressionist show in town at the moment.Since you were probably around when that stuff was painted, I figured you could explain it to me.”

Asher narrowed his eyes at her.He could almost taste her slippery evasion.

Grudgingly she added, “It’s for a school assignment.Art appreciation.Who knew that fieldtrips would be involved?”

Such a silly, innocent exploitation.And she was interesting even if he had no idea what she was saying most of the time.And he _was_ lonely.

Asher took Buffy's small, warm hand in his own.“As you wish, Mademoiselle.”

 

 

**#082 Gloves**

“Miss!Miss!You don’t have an appointment!”

The mademoiselle stepped around Asher's assistant, her black trench coat swinging around her legs rather oddly.Her high heels were puce and her hair ribbons were sea foam green.

“What part of _fashion emergency_ did you not understand?”

“Good evening, Mademoiselle,” Asher greeted her.He tried to remember what he had said and not said to her the previous evening at the museum.He could have sworn the conversation was all art-related. "How can I help you this evening?"

Buffy yanked her coat open to reveal a long puce dress with puffy half-sleeves, lace, ruffles, and sea foam green accents.Long sea foam green gloves finished off the look.It was the most hideous dress that Asher had seen in at least a century.

Asher’s lip curled in silent disgust.

“I know!I’m expected to wear this fashion _disaster_ in front of _people_!There are going to be pictures!”

“Mademoiselle, while I am truly sorry for your predicament–”

She stomped one small foot.

“Asher, you’re going to come with me and explain to them that they must be insane and colorblind.Then you’re going to pick out flattering dresses for us.”

“But Mademoiselle–”

“You have that sexy French accent!They’ll listen to you for sure!”

Asher forgot what he was going to say.“Oh.”

It had been a very long time since someone had casually called him _sexy._

“Asher!This is your chance to prevent a crime against _humanity_! _All of humanity,_ Asher!”

Asher peered up at Buffy.She was lovely and amusing.She took fashion seriously and this was clearly important to her.And it had been a very long time since someone had sought him out simply for his opinions on something so personal and frivolous.

And she thought that his accent was sexy.

Asher stood up.

“Humanity should be protected from such blinding ugliness.”

The girl beamed.

“Exactly!”She tied her trench coat shut around her again.“So you’ll save me, then?”

“It is my civic duty.”

“My knight in shining armor!” she teased, real gratitude shining in her eyes.

He flashed her a small smile and moved to offer her his arm.“My lady.”

Still smiling up at him, the pretty mademoiselle took his arm and cuddled into his side.

Asher felt something peculiar then.He felt… light.It took him a long moment to identify the sensation.

Asher was happy.

 

 

**#062 Game**

“Sea foam is my favorite color!” the bride, a woman named Myka Cannon, insisted for the third time.“Who are _you_ to criticize _our_ color choices anyway?”

“My date!”Buffy said cheerfully.

Shock crashed through Asher.It felt remarkably like the time Jean-Claude had tossed him into a river in the dead of winter.

_Perhaps Mademoiselle Buffy was motivated by more than fashion-conscious outrage in my office... But what game is she playing?Are there rules?And what are the stakes?_

“Asher is my date to the wedding.He's also the man who used to critique Marie Antoinette's wardrobe.If Asher says the dresses are ugly… Well, who are we to argue with him?”

Asher grinned, amused by Buffy's bold-faced lies.

Then the shameless woman actually smirked and winked!At him!

When Asher glanced covertly at the other bridesmaids, he nearly choked on his own tongue.

The other women were shooting covetous, even envious, glances between himself and Buffy, who looked like the cat that ate the canary.

_What is wrong with these girls?_

“Asher?” abrunette murmured shyly.“What were you saying about the color choices, again?”

Asher twisted his lips into his most charming smile as he asked, “What flowers did the bride choose for her bouquet?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	2. "Can Asher come out to play?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#065. Vampire**

Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a long and complicated relationship with vampires in general and two, now potentially three, vampires in particular.Swan diving into another dimension had in some ways simplified her longest running relationship and, in other ways, further complicated it.Overall, though, Buffy was pleased with the way that things had turned out.

She had been utterly miserable in the beginning.She might have been happier had she not landed in the damn river.Then again, maybe not.There were worse places to land, like the hell dimension that she had thought that she was falling into when she jumped in Dawn's place. And, even if she had landed somewhere other than the river, she would never have known how much better it was to land there than in the Mississippi River.

At least it was just after dawn when she splashed down, so to speak.

Being homeless, penniless, and wet in a strange new dimension had been less than fun.She had been homeless before so Buffy knew the drill.But when she was seventeen, Buffy had left home with a duffle bag of stuff to call her own, three half-used gift certificates, about two hundred dollars, two crosses, and Mr. Pointy.(She had left her stuffed pig with Dawn.)Now Buffy had nothing save the ruined clothes on her back, a pair of soggy boots, three crosses, and Mr. Pointy the IV.Fortunately, she was fast and agile enough to help herself to a five-fingered discount at the first Good Will that she stumbled across.

She felt bad about that.

But not so bad that she took the clothes and shoes back.

Instead she clutched her spoils to her chest and kept sprinting until she was a goodly distance from the Good Will shop.Then she slipped into the nearest fast food restaurant, a McDonald's which brought up some serious trans-dimensional issues that Buffy chose not to think about, and used their bathroom to clean up and change.

About the time that Buffy realized that she was in a part of St. Louis called the Blood District which was run by "friendly" vampires, she decided to head for the nearest library no matter how sad all non-Giles-y libraries made her.(There was just something wrong with a non-Giles-y library.Also, the research in them was much harder.On the bright side, no one threw knives at you when you dog-eared pages in the books or filled in the quizzes in the magazines.)

Buffy sort of wished that some enterprising librarian, dressed in tweed mind you, would drop a Book of Vampyre in her lap and give her a quick and dirty summary as to _how_ the vampires had gotten their own district.Instead, Buffy had to run internet searches and read books and quietly throw up in her mouth when she realized that vampires were citizens with rights and trials and whatever else.

There was no room in such a world as this for a displaced Slayer.She, like everyone else, was going to have to find her own purpose in life.It was simultaneously the most horrible and freeing moment of her life.

Buffy tried to fit in.

She reported to the nearest hospital and claimed to have had an unknown accident that had destroyed all of her personal memories.Since she was healthy and fit as a fiddle (whatever that meant), they diagnosed her as the victim of a vampire's roll and called the police.

Buffy was still trying to figure out if that meant that the vampires here did thrall or used the Force or whatever when the most untidy policeman in the history of ever arrived to take her statement.He ended up answering most of her questions, rather than the other way around.

So Buffy got a discharge, a vague promise to keep looking for her attacker, and enough temporary identification to scrounge a job as a waitress in a greasy spoon.

The first few months were depressingly like that summer after she had sent Angel to hell.She was emotionally stronger but she fiercely missed her family and friends.She had a place to stay but her roommates either wanted her to let them infect her so that she could join their were-animal group, make smut with her, let a vampire chew on her neck or all three.

Buffy actually preferred to shower and change clothes in the apartment and nap in the cemeteries.Only a few of them were infested with ghouls and the vampires rarely buried their new children.The biggest problem with them was that everyone and their cousin seemed to want to hire someone to slaughter an animal and raise a zombie.As soon as the sunset, the cemeteries were crawling with dark magic.

The part of her that was The Slayer was always closer to the surface after sunset, of course.But something about the dark magic used to raise zombies made The Slayer furious and uneasy.Of course, that might also have been because Buffy was surrounded by her favorite prey but unable to kill any of them, unless she was open to being hunted and executed herself by this world's humans.

The mere thought of it was enough to sharpen her fury, sending the world around Buffy into crystal clear focus.Buffy jittered with repressed energy and violence.Her Slayer senses jangled all the time, alerting her to the presence of various were-animals, vampires, ghouls, and every other non-human entity in the area.The urge to stalk through the night and slaughter everything was nearly overwhelming.

Dimensionally displaced or not, Buffy would always be a Slayer.

Buffy was on the verge of pulling up stakes and moving to a country where everyone was too busy trying to survive their vampires and various supernatural creepy crawlies to care about why or when they disappeared when a little old man shot a vampire right in front of her.Since the vampire had been ranting on about eating her and the short order cook, Buffy could not find it in herself to feel particularly sorry for the vampire.

Honestly, her two biggest concerns were that she had Mr. Pointy out and no one to stake and that the vampire had splashed blood all over her front.Of the two, the stolen kill bothered her the most.

"You shouldn't have done that," Buffy gritted as she wiped the blood off of her face."It's against the law to kill vampires."

The man looked her over thoughtfully, his eyes lingering on Mr. Pointy.He nodded as if he had come to a decision.

"Not during a legally authorized hunt."

"Ah." Buffy did some thoughtful looking of her own."How'd you get legally authorized?"

"I apprenticed to a vampire executioner.He still holds the record for the most kills in history.He was the greatest vampire hunter that this country has ever known," the old man said as he holstered his weapon."But I'm getting old.I could use an apprentice of my own to pass the craft on to."

"I need a job," Buffy said hopefully."And I'm not squeamish."

The man smiled.It made the wrinkles across his face bunch and gather.His blue eyes were bright with laughter.

"No, I don't suppose you are."

And that was how Buffy had ended up apprenticed to Pete Cannon.

 

 

**#064. Diary**

Vampires in this new world came in flavors called 'lines,' had a grab bag of superpowers, and had a secret government since human laws were apparently a matter of convenience to them... until the state's executioner came knocking.Some of them had magical, mystical servants and animal slaves, usually were-animals but sometimes not.Were-animal groups usually ran in ridiculously large packs, some of them ate their dead, and all of them seemed to share the vampires' disdain for the humans' laws.They too had their own secret governments except, unlike vampires, theirs were always local in nature and varied wildly between territories.Zombies were raised for parties, trials, last goodbyes, and kinky sex.And all of that was only the tip of the iceberg of weirdness.

Buffy now lived in a very strange world.

Giles would have been fascinated.For his sake, Buffy kept a very detailed diary of her life, surroundings, and adventures just like a Watcher might do.She started nearly every entry with 'Dear Giles,' and ended all of her entries with, 'See you soon, Buffy.'The ones that were not addressed to Giles were usually addressed to Dawn or, very rarely, addressed to one of her friends.

The longest journal entries were always addressed to Giles and always on the topic of St. Louis' most infamous vampire hunter, Anita Blake.

The first time that Buffy had seen a picture of Anita Blake, she was in Tennessee hunting a bounty with Pete Cannon. When Pete swapped Buffy his national news and technology sections for her living, gardening, and comics sections, Buffy spat hot coffee all over her shirt and Pete Cannon's windshield.

"Glory!"

"What?"

"Uh... nothing," Buffy lied as she peered at the grainy black and white picture of a scowling woman.She was physically younger than Glory had appeared to be and her hair was a different color but that general 'I don't give a shit about you, you puny meat-sack,' attitude was so achingly familiar.

Buffy had a sudden, terrible suspicion as to why she had splashed down in St. Louis.She might have landed in that hell dimension after all, just a few years before it got really hellish.

"Hey, you okay?" Pete asked.

"What?Yes!Of course!I'm a-okay and hunky-dory.Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been sitting there staring at that newspaper like it killed your puppy for a few minutes now," Pete said.He was staring at the secondhand shop's front with an interest that the shop did not deserve.It was reputed to be a bolt hole for the local werewolf pack."Coffee's soaking into your shirt."

Cursing, Buffy clambered between the seats and into the backseat.

Pete did state executions and supernatural bounty hunting which meant that by extension Buffy did state executions and supernatural bounty hunting.But badass bounty hunting vampire executioner or not, Buffy still had certain standards to maintain.And maintaining those standards meant keeping a little travel case with a couple changes of clothes, a couple pairs of shoes, a few hygiene products, and makeup.Vampire executing and bounty hunting were messier businesses in this world than in her home dimension.

"Do you see him yet?" Buffy asked as she wrenched her shirt over her head."He'd better not come out while I'm changing.I'll kick his ass so hard if he comes out while I'm changing shirts."

"He ain't gonna -- Here, he comes!Left side!"

Pete slammed the car into gear.

Cursing, Buffy gave up on changing her shirt.She clambered over to the left side, behind Pete's seat, and waited.At the exact right moment, Buffy slammed open her own door and leaped out at the bounty.They went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

"I double dog dare you to resist," Buffy snarled.

He resisted.

Dressed only in her jeans, sneakers, and a cranberry red bra, Buffy gave the mark his promised extra hard ass kicking.A Buffy who was not at her best was not a Buffy who was going to take flack off of any court date jumping scumbag.

After that, Anita Blake became Buffy's hobby.

Buffy searched old newspapers and microfiche for articles on her.She called Blake's work, posed as a magazine writer, and pumped her workmates for information.Buffy visited her alma mater, posed as a journalist again, and pumped the staff for information on her.

She kept all of her information in her diary for Giles.

"Less enlightened people might call this stalking," Pete remarked.Even though he was technically retired and Buffy was now a vampire executioner and bounty hunter in her own right, they were still hunting buddies.Pete did most of the research, leg work, and napping while Buffy kicked the ass and made the kills.It was like having a Watcher but having to fill out her own diaries.

Giles, Anya, and Dawnie would have loved Pete Cannon.He would have scared the shit out of Willow, Xander, and Tara, though.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy said primly.

"The only reason you nagged me into this job was because of its connection to that Blake woman," Pete said.To all appearances, he was napping with his hat propped over his face while Buffy kept an eye out for the target."She's practically an obsession with you."

"Research is a Slayer's best friend," Buffy said absently."Actually, the librarian who does the research for the Slayer is the Slayer's best friend but since I haven't got Giles at the moment, I'm going to settle for the research."

"Are you going to slay Blake, then?" Pete asked, perhaps a bit too levelly.

"Don't have to.Already did."

"That'd explain it," Pete grunted."You from the future then?"

"Different dimension," Buffy said.Panic straightened her spine."Wait, no.I'm from this dimension!Ha ha, funny joke.I am a funny, funny girl."

"Too late to backtrack," Pete said."It certainly explains a lot."

"Hey!What're you talking about?I've done a brilliant job of fitting in!"

"Buffy, remember that demon-summoning master vampire?"

"Sure, it was last month.I know I'm a blonde but I'm not actually dumb."

"You ran straight at his demon, tore the demon's arm-spear off, and stabbed it with its own arm-spear.And you _kept_ stabbing it until the thing had the good sense to lay down and die."

"Polgara demons have, like, five hearts!And you have to stab through all five of them in a very specific order!Finding number four has always been a bit tricky for me!And it's your fault that I had to rip its spike off.You were the one who vetoed adding swords to our regular equipment bag."

"Duly noted.And I'd like to remind you that we've rectified that in light of how messy that last job got.I never want to see something like that again.Anyway, the point was that people from these parts just don't do things like that.We also can't wrestle werewolves or vampires or anything supernatural into submission unless we're supernatural ourselves."

"Oh."Buffy thought about that for a moment."Is that why you took all those full moon jobs in a row?My landlady was beginning to think that I was a were-whatever.She was really supportive though, so that's something I guess."

Pete laughed.

"So, in your dimension is everyone as strong as a vampire?"

"Nope.Only The Slayer."

"And you're the Slayer?"

"The one and only.Literally.We're mystically chosen by, well, someone.The Powers That Be, maybe."

"And Blake's evil in your dimension?"

"My last year at home, a hell dimension banished a hell god named Glorificus to my dimension.She tried to get home by opening a portal that would break down the dimensional barriers, bleed all of the dimensions together, and destroy them all.I stopped her but, well, I ended up here.The thing is, I'm positive that Anita Blake _is_ Glory."

Pete hummed.

"There he is!"Buffy yelped as she leaped out of her car and sprinted after the swan prince, sword in hand.

She was bummed that the cursed swan prince was a total pushover.The blond man with the automatic weapon who stepped out of the shadows after Buffy kicked the swan prince into submission looked like he might be more interesting.And, as a bonus, he was well within her hand-to-hand range.

"Well, isn't this interesting," he drawled.

"He's mine," Buffy said.The man underneath her tried to buck her off. Buffy easily kept her seat and kept him pinned."You're going to need more than that gun to take him."

Seriously.So long as he was within her hand-to-hand range, Buffy could probably take him down before he could shoot her.Probably.

"You're mistaken," the blond man said flatly.His hair was naturally blond and his eyes were a few shades lighter than Spike's but he obviously shared Spike's love of black t-shirts, black jeans, and black work boots.

"And you're crazy if you think she'd go after a payday like this alone," Pete said.He was standing behind the blond man with his favorite shotgun cocked.

Buffy smirked at the stranger and then let it widen into a grin for Pete.

"Bounty?" asked the blond man.He looked surprised.

"If you're not here about the three hundred years' worth of bounties on his head, why _are_ you here?"Buffy demanded.

"Edward does hits."

"A hitman!" Buffy's voice squeaked embarrassingly.She tensed."With the Order of Taraka?Because I'm telling you, we've got a truce.It's even in _writing._ We signed in blood.You break that and your bosses'll be _pissed."_

Pete laughed at Buffy.Edward looked equal parts amused and bemused.

"I'm an independent contractor."

Buffy relaxed."Oh.Well.That's okay then, I guess."

 _"You_ survived a hit contract with the Order of Taraka?" asked the target.His voice was muffled, possibly from the way that Buffy was mashing his face into the pavement. _"No one_ survives the Order of Taraka!They're fucking demons!"

"Demons schmemons!" Buffy scoffed as she clambered off of the target.She hauled him to his feet."The head muckety-muck personally apologized for taking that contract on me.Twice. _After_ our truce was finalized.I want you to think about that every time you're tempted to try to escape because as bad as things are for you now, I could make them a whole lot worse."

Edward went away, the evil swan prince came quietly, and Pete handled (subtly) interrogating the prince about Anita Blake.After that, they took the mark to the nearest jail.

The payout from that job was phenomenal.If Buffy was in the game for the money, she could have retired on it.Fortunately, she was in it for the job satisfaction.And so was Pete.

 

 

**#045. Dimensions**

Five years after landing in the Mississippi River, Buffy was a licensed vampire executioner in her own right.Her territory ran across seventeen states and she had all of the (legal) action that she wanted to handle.She loved her job and her inner Slayer was sated.Her bank account was healthy and she finally had time to be selfish and do the things that she had always wanted to do like trying college again and training for the Olympics figure skating team.

She missed Dawnie and Giles like she would miss her arms though.Buffy missed the Scoobies, past and present, and even Spike and Faith (on occasion) but it was different.Maybe it was because Dawn and Giles were family or because she thought they would be happy in this dimension, despite the hideous fashions.(She missed Cordelia fiercely every time that she was the lone decrier of shoulder pads or ruffles.)And she liked to think that they would have been okay with the ways that Buffy had changed and grown over the years on her own.

Or maybe Buffy missed the others less because she knew that some of her Scoobies (Willow, in particular) would not have thrived in this dimension.

The biggest downside to this place, in Buffy's opinion, was that the men were as disappointing at sex as Parker and Riley had been.They were just... slow and delicate and, well, lacked the stamina necessary to really do it right.

Buffy suspected that the problem was with her, not them.Maybe there was a very good reason that she had always been attracted to vampires and Slayers (even though girls were generally not her thing.)Maybe the subconscious parts her brain were smarter than she had ever given them credit for.

So Buffy had been shopping around for a potential vampire boyfriend, or even a potential vampire lay, when she spotted Asher in that vampire dance club.And then she _kept_ seeing him around and, okay, that part had worried her a bit.She had learned her lessons from Angel, after all.

But Asher had been so genuinely indignant, even angry, at the mere suggestion of it that Buffy had to think the Master of the City owned everywhere she wanted to go.(A lot of digging proved that Jean-Claude owned most of the vampire-owned businesses in the Blood District, both on and off the books.He definitely had a fetish for owning stuff.)And, after several surprise visits and actually meeting Jean-Claude, Buffy was nearly positive that Jean-Claude had tracked her down, run that contest, and announced her as the contest's winner as a plot to arrange a blind date between herself and Asher.Jean-Claude's intentions had (probably) been good even if the execution was gross.

Even if the venue had been creepy as hell, Asher had been attentive, charming, and sort of Byronic which tugged at Buffy like few things did.And, even though he was blond and uncertain and lonely, Asher was exactly her type.In fact, the uncertainty (and the strange use of shadows) only made him _more_ her type.And Buffy understood loneliness.She had been lonely since the day that she turned fifteen.And he was so awkward and shy and drop dead gorgeous.And that _accent!_ Asher could read the phone book to her and Buffy would enjoy it.

Asher had made that first date a success even if watching the lamia and her scaly men writhe around on a stage had been about the furthest thing from romantic that Buffy could imagine.(It had actually reminded Buffy of that frat party she and Cordelia had crashed... and nearly gotten eaten at, except now Buffy wondered if the snake-man had really been a male lamia who was trying to create a female of his species.The mere idea of it gave her a serious, creeping case of the wiggins.)

And if his only major flaw was that he was a vampire, well, Buffy knew from experience that the Slayer part of her would eventually see Asher as her own, the same way that it had eventually acknowledged Dawn, Giles and the Scoobies as her own.That was part of why Angel's betrayals and abandonment had hurt Buffy so deeply.It was why Spike was allowed to babysit Dawn. It was why both Spike and Angel were still alive.

So yeah, Buffy was really into Asher.And he was going to want her more than he wanted his next cigarette if she had anything to say about it.And then they were going to have a sex marathon and Buffy was finally going to understand what the big deal was because, honestly, lazy sex with her sparkly purple dildo (or Mr. Pointy) was better than the best sex that she had ever had with any man, including Angel.And that was just sad.

 

 

**#099. Torture**

Buffy's willful obliviousness was thoroughly vexing to Asher.The first time that she had ever taken him shopping, he had been so tense that he had later realized that he had spent the entire time shaking.Later still he had realized that she had taken him home early that night... probably because of his obvious distress.But one torturous experience was apparently not enough to dissuade her from insisting on another visit to her beloved mall.

Asher could not bring himself to tell her how uncomfortable he was.His death grip on her hot little hand should have been a clue to her, though.The gentle little circles of warmth that her thumb absently rubbed into his hand were vaguely soothing...but not nearly soothing enough to make up for the crush of humanity in the mall.

“This would look good on you, especially with your eyes.”

Asher studied the indicated shirt.The color and cut _would_ be flattering on him...

“It would suit me very well.But it does not match Jean-Claude’s dress code.”

“There’s a dress code?Even for nights off?”

Asher bit back a smile.

“A vampire must exude a certain… style of living.”

“Because strippers and pirate gear are so classy.”

Asher shrugged.Buffy rolled her eyes at him.

“Fine, but if you start to develop his unhealthy addiction to ruffles, I’m _so_ staging an intervention.”

Twenty minutes later, ensconced in a seat at the entrance to the changing rooms, Asher remembered Buffy fierce objections to being deceived.He eyed her dubiously.

“Asher,” she repeated, faint traces of irritation seeping into her tone, “do these pants make my ass look flat?”

_Does it extend to polite fictions?Comforting manipulations?_

With a sense of impending doom, Asher straightened his spine and raised his chin.

“Yes.”

 

 

**#102 Popular (Wildcard)**

“Asher, ma petite and I are going out to dinner tomorrow.You are welcome to join us.”

Asher felt a small stab of disappointment and a swell of satisfaction.

“Thank you but I cannot, mon ami.I have plans tomorrow night with Mademoiselle Buffy.”

It was the first time in a very long time that he had plans of his own on a Friday night.It was also the first time since coming to St. Louis that Asher was not pathetically grateful to be included in Jean-Claude's plans.

Jean-Claude smiled and nodded.

“Asher, can you cover my shift at the Laughing Corpse next Saturday?My girl wants to catch the opening night of some chick flick then go dancing.”

Asher felt a spike of pleasure at finally being unable to cover for someone else’s night of fun.

“I cannot, Willie.I have a prior engagement with a lady.”

The younger vampire blinked then grinned at him.

“That's great!”Willie beamed at Asher with such genuine pleasure at the oral confirmation of Asher’s social life that Asher was torn between real gratitude and severe annoyance.“Have fun!”

“Asher, on Monday night I need you to fill in for Nathaniel at–”

Asher felt a stab of outrage at being no more to Anita than a handy minion and then felt a wash of vicious satisfaction.He no longer desperately awaited Anita's beck and call.

“I have plans that evening.You must ask someone else.”

Anita peered at him suspiciously.“Plans?For right after sunset?”

“Yes.I am escorting a lady to a rehearsal dinner.”

A flash of jealousy twisted her pretty lips into a grimace.“Why?”

“Because she enjoys my company.”

“I meant why are you going out with some other woman?”

“Because she asked me.”Asher glanced at his wrist watch.“Excuse me Anita.I am running late.”

As he turned to leave Anita blurted, “You could still–”

“No thank you, Anita,” Asher said over his shoulder.As he hurried away, Asher heard Anita loudly complain to Jean-Claude about his rejection.

“I will not force him, ma petite.”

“I don’t want you to!But doesn’t it seem awfully suspicious that he’s suddenly so busy?”

“Asher was quite popular once.I am pleased that he has remembered that.”

Asher smiled.

 

 

**#011. Night**

On Tuesday night, Buffy cancelled their Friday appointment.

“Hey, Asher!I’m so sorry but I can’t make it this Friday," Buffy said, her voice sounding tinny from the machine but cheerful, if a touch tired."I’m out of town and sort of stuck here.But hey, I’ll see you next week.Okay?Right!Bye!”

Asher listened to the message twice.

_I should be happy.I hate her mall.It's crowded and plebian and... generic._

Shopping with Jean-Claude involved personal measurements taken by hand, books of fabrics and patterns, and multiple fittings.It did not involve a large audience and Asher knew that at the end of the experience he would have new clothes.It was personal and soothing and... comfortable.

With Buffy there were racks of clothing to search, pre-made garments, consideration of future alterations, and purely modern cuts and colors.It was fast, energetic, and nerve-wracking.There were too many people, the lights were too bright, and there was nowhere to hide.It was terrifying.

Asher would give almost anything to go to the mall on Friday.

Casual things were supposed to be painless.They were supposed to be fun and distracting and unimportant.His outings with Buffy were the definition of casual.They were not to be missed.

 _And I **do** miss her..._ Asher sighed. _I'm an idiot._

He spent the rest of the night doing paperwork.When the more minor vampires came in to report on their sections within the circus, Asher was a bit terse but not unpleasant.

Wednesday night, Asher spent the evening plotting with Anita and Jean-Claude.He found that he spent more time than usual skulking in the shadows and staring after Jean-Claude.He also had less to say.He could almost hear Buffy laughing at him for sulking at the back of his mind.He ignored her.

Thursday night, Asher once again worked at his desk.Jean-Claude was waiting for him when he got home but he never said a word to Asher.He just gave Asher a strange, assessing look.Asher ignored it and went to bed.

Friday night, Asher sat in front of the portrait of himself, Jean-Claude, and Julianna that hung in the main living area.He stared at it for hours and wished that he could still get roaring drunk.When Jean-Claude sat down near him (but not too near for Anita's sake), Asher pretended to ignore him.

“I thought you had a date with Mademoiselle Buffy.”

“She cancelled.”

“Ah.When did she cancel?”

“Tuesday.”

Jean-Claude pressed his lips together.

On Saturday night, Asher watched the circus’ floor show.He heard Buffy’s voice at the back of his mind saying, “This place is seriously disturbed.People actually pay to come here?”Last time, he had found it brash and insulting.This time, he looked around at the ghoulish humans then down at the actual ghouls in the center ring and found that he agreed with her.

On Sunday night, Jean-Claude’s businesses were slow.It was tempting to go stare at the portrait in Jean-Claude's sitting room but it hurt Jean-Claude when he did that.Julianna had always hated it when Asher was deliberately cruel, especially to Jean-Claude.

His office line rang.The customer representative said that it was an irate customer whose son had been bitten by the lamia last night.Asher went cold.

When the call was transferred he began to rattle off, “Good evening, Circus of the–”

“Asher!”

“Buffy?”

“My lamia story was pretty good, yeah?”

The knot in Asher's chest uncoiled.He relaxed into his chair.

“It was terrible.It gave me heart failure.”

Buffy laughed delightedly.

“So are you free tomorrow night?”

"Yes."

 

 

**#043. Castle**

"Let's go to the circus!"

“Buffy, I work at a circus.”

“A creepy permanent circus with giant snakes and murderous clowns.This is a fun traveling circus with funny clowns and elephants.It’ll be fun!”

Asher had once loved circuses.Back then, he had been beautiful and happy.

“As you wish.”

There was a short silence.

“Hey… Do you know how to play chess?We should play chess.”

“I thought we were going to the circus.”

“Circuses are boring,” she lied.“And I’ve always wanted to learn how to play chess.”

Asher smiled.

“I would enjoy teaching you to play.”

Ten minutes later, they were sitting across from each other in a coffee shop.Asher had bought a decent chess set from Buffy's mall and Buffy had bought fragrant coffee and pretty little pastries from the coffee shop's counter.

“So the castles–”

“The rooks.”

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.

“So the rook moves in diagonals?”

“No.Straight lines.The bishops–”

“Which ones are those?”

Asher lightly touched the top of the appropriate piece.

“The bishops move in diagonals along whatever colored square they’re on.”

“Aaaahh.”Buffy narrowed her eyes at her remaining six game pieces."And the knights make capital Ls, right?"

"Oui."

Buffy moved her knight.Asher took it with a pawn.She lost that game, the next one and the ten after that.Three nights later, Buffy won her first game of chess.

 

 

**#020. Weddings**

“You didn’t say this was going to involve a priest!”

“It’s a _Catholic wedding_!What were you expecting?”

“I thought priests were out of fashion!" Asher snapped as one hand rose to cradle his poor ruined cheek through the curtain of his hair.The entire right side of his body burned with remembered agony."I thought the state was supposed to sanction the weddings!”

"It does.Through the priest.He's state certified."Buffy blinked up at Asher.“What’s your problem with priests?”

“I loathe priests and churches and organized religion with every fiber of my being."

Julianna would be so terribly disappointed in him.She had never blamed her God, not even after they lit the tinder under her feet.

A light touch to his forearm startled Asher.

“Priests don’t tend to go to the after party.Will you at least be my date to the reception?”

Asher hesitated then inclined his head.

“I will await your arrival.”

Buffy beamed at him then tugged his head down to press a quick kiss on his perfect cheek.When she reached up to rub her lipstick mark off, he caught her wrist.

“You will ruin your gloves.”

She flushed and smiled.

“Right.Thanks!"Buffy sent him a small wave as she turned away."I’ll see you at the reception!”

Asher watched her until she disappeared into the wedding party.

He was tempted to leave the red mark on his cheek.It was the most uncomplicated display of affection that he had been granted in a very long time.Instead Asher fished his handkerchief out and carefully wiped her mark off of his face.Then he folded his handkerchief over and pocketed it, capturing the kiss forever.

Asher pressed two fingertips into his smooth cheek as he returned to Jason and the car.

 

 

**#100. Dry**

“I’m so sorry Asher but I have to break our date tonight.It’s sort of an emergency extra credit assignment.”

“No, no, I understand.We cannot plan for life’s surprises.”

 _Or its’ disasters,_ he thought, one hand fluttering up to touch his face.Buffy’s voice pulled him from his memories.

“I’ll miss you.”

Asher was immediately gratified by the truth ringing through her words then dismayed by their content.

“Miss me?" Asher asked."Will you not even be available for a quick dinner break?”

“Can’t, tonight or over the next eight days," Buffy said regretfully."It’s a huge assignment.I'll have to move fast to get it all done before the deadline.“

There was something slippery about her words.

 _She is neither lying nor telling the whole truth,_ Asher mused. _Perhaps she is speaking in euphemisms?_

“Oh.After you finish...” Asher’s words dried up.Suddenly terribly nervous, he cleared his throat and tried again.“Would you... maybe we could...”

“I’d love to.”

He could almost hear her smile through the telephone wire.

“I haven’t asked you anything yet!”

“Whatever it is, I’d love to do it.It’ll be fun."

"You don't know that."

"It'll be with you.Ergo, the fun.”

 

 

**#072 Fresh**

As he paced, Asher swore at himself and checked that he had not yet crushed his token for Buffy.On the other side of the door, Asher could hear Buffy quietly humming.

 _She sounds happy,_ Asher thought, soothed to know that Buffy was looking forward to their rendezvous with anticipation. _And not at all nervous._

Asher envied Buffy that.But then, she had always seemed certain about... whatever it was that they were doing.He had only recently realized that they were doing _something_ at all.

No one had ever accused Asher of being a genius.

At six o’clock exactly, Asher rang her doorbell.A small eternity of seconds later, the door swung open.Across the thresh hold stood Buffy.

Her hair was up in a complicated thing on the top of her head and strategic little tendrils wafted down to frame her face.She was dressed in a flirty little sundress and strappy golden sandals.Buffy smelled like strawberries and vanilla and looked gorgeous.

Asher felt himself flush with pleasure, as much as any vampire could.

“You look beautiful.”

The tired old line tripped off of his tongue before he could censor it but Buffy beamed like he had said something new and wonderful.When Asher offered Buffy the single white rose, her smile was breathtaking.He wished that he had brought something more substantial than a silly little flower fresh from Jean-Claude’s preferred florist.

“I need to put this in water.Come in.”

Her apartment was nearly empty.He glimpsed white walls, a sofa, a television, and a couch in her living room as Buffy led him into the kitchen.It was small and even more barren than the living room had been.

_Perhaps she has just moved in.Or all of her money goes to shoes and clothes._

From one of the cupboards, Buffy pulled an dusty, old vase.

Asher’s lip curled.Buffy, noticing it, grinned.

“Ugly, right?The last tenant left it and… well, it’s better than a cup right?”

“Barely.”

She laughed.Asher basked in it.

When force of habit compelled him to hold her car door for her, Asher automatically braced himself for Buffy's wrath.Instead Buffy beamed at him as she tucked herself into the backseat.She practically glowed with pleasure.

Asher _nearly_ grinned at their driver, a stone-faced werewolf, as he went around to his side of the car.

_I hope she likes her surprise._

 

 

**#048 Hate**

“Asher, what are we doing here?”

“You wished to come to the circus, non?”

“But you hate the circus and I totally don’t blame you for that.I mean, you live under a super creepy one.I’d hate clowns too after that.”

Asher smiled despite himself.“It is nothing so dire as that.”

He led her into the big top.

The show seemed to involve lots of dangerous animals, lovely women dressed in feathers or spandex, and beautiful men in tiny shorts or spandex.Buffy was riveted.She clapped for the acrobats, cheered for the lion tamer, and ate her body weight in cotton candy and peanuts.

She also loved the game booths, the petting zoo, and the strong man competition.

"This is definitely one of the best dates that I've ever been on," Buffy rhapsodized as Asher gingerly joined her on the elephant's back.The circus allowed riders for a fee and legal indemnification.At her words, Asher's arms tightened around her in a way that had nothing to do with abandoning a rampaging elephant.

“Maybe dated is the wrong word," Buffy said hurriedly."Hung out with?Or–”

“You must not have not dated very extensively.”

Buffy laughed.

 

 

**#075 Ink**

“Ooohhhh…. Henna!”Buffy tugged Asher toward the stall.“Where should I get inked?”

"Everywhere you please."

"On my chest?"

"Perhaps your knees?"

"Up my legs, then?"

"Your elbows, perhaps?"

When they made it up to one of the artists Buffy slid a wicked look toward Asher.Pleasure and lust and trepidation shimmied down Asher's spine.

“Arms and back please,” she said to the artist while claiming a stool and leaning forward with her arms across her chest.“Asher, would you–”

With a particularly fearsome glare for the henna artist, Asher stepped forward and pressed his fingertips against the nape of her neck.His fingertips slid against her soft skin as he worked to untie her spaghetti straps.After the straps fell apart, Asher's fingers lingered a bit longer, brushing her soft blonde hair out of the way.Then Asher stepped back and watched closely as the artist traced swirling patterns from the nap of Buffy's neck down to the small of her back and around both of her sides to the points where her elbows pressed her clothing against herself.

Asher ached to trace the wet ink with his fingers, smear it, and press the mess into his own skin.He took a quick step back, away from temptation.

When the ink was mostly dry, Asher quickly retied Buffy’s spaghetti straps across the back of her neck.

Buffy sat up, her face a bit pink and her smile entirely wicked, and offered the henna artist her right arm.Asher watched, his fingers twitching, as lines and spirals and dots made their way up one tanned arm and down the other.When she was done, Buffy’s back and arms and collarbones were covered in the swirling henna patterns.Her long slim throat was deliciously bare.And Asher ached... everywhere.

“What do you think?”

_Tempting._

His gaze lingered on her, memorizing her in this moment; the fall of her hair, her large green eyes, her flushed cheeks, the wicked tilt of her mouth, the twisting lines of ink, her deliciously bare throat.

“Perfect,” Asher said hoarsely.

_Surely I can look without touching.What's the worst that can come of it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	3. "I'm totally going to ravish you. Eventually."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#005. Pets**

There were always traces of the man in the vampire.

Jean-Claude, Asher knew, had been born a peasant and sold to a high ranking family as a whipping boy.Until very recently, his entire existence had been experienced as someone's pet.And, although his first owners had fed him and educated him and polished his rougher edges away, there was a hardness, and a hardiness, in Jean-Claude that Asher knew he entirely lacked.

For himself, Asher had been born wealthy, privileged, and powerful and had remained that way until he lost his celebrated beauty.He had enjoyed an idyllic childhood and had taken pleasure in (and from) having a whipping boy of his very own.He had been a favorite of Belle Morte's before and after his turning, escaped his line's lust, and never known hardship until the night Julianna was taken.

And, while he hated Julianna's loss and being ugly, Asher knew that he was a better man for his hardships.(He was never going to forgive Belle for making them harder and more hurtful, however.)

When Asher realized that he... cared for Buffy, he courted her as extravagantly as he had courted first Julianna and later Jean-Claude. He was no longer beautiful but he was once again privileged.And he had always been wealthy.

Asher sent her flowers and held doors for her.He took her to plays, dance clubs, and spas.Asher indulged her shoe addiction and cooked her large meals.He brought her flowers, bought her dinners, helped her with her schoolwork, and took her to an opera (once.Buffy had very politely hated it.)He arranged a moonlit carriage ride with her and snuggled with her under the blanket.

It helped that Buffy was more reasonable than Anita about being pampered.

Buffy _loved_ it.

And Asher loved pampering Buffy.Her happiness was addictive.Knowing that he had made her smile was addictive. _She_ was addictive.

Asher wanted Buffy like she wanted to breathe.He wanted her laughter, her warmth, and her incomprehensible mutilation of her native tongue.He wanted (to decorate) her ugly, sparse apartment and add to her frightening collection of shoes.He wanted her fearlessness, her surprising intelligence, and her gentle heart.

Asher wanted _her._

He was certain that Buffy enjoyed his company. She might even like him.If Asher had his way, she was going to want him too.

 

 

**#032 Snow**

“Asher!Sno-Cones!”

Asher, who had actually lived through the Renaissance, did not remember there being anything like the chipped ice-making machine... or Buffy's lime green sundress, come to think of it.Blinking down at Buffy, he ventured to say, “Ah… Good?”

Buffy beamed.Apparently, that had been the right response.While Asher enjoyed his victory and studied the merchant's wares, Buffy dragged him into the appropriate line.

“Are you sure that those are edible?” he asked as he eyed an alarmingly yellow mess of tiny ice chips and syrup.

“They're delicious!”

“They doesn’t look anything like actual snow.”Asher said as a girl walked past them with a sno-cone dyed in stripes of blue, red, and green.“They can’t possibly be good for you.They appears to be colored sugar water.”

Buffy laughed.“None of the really good stuff is actually good for you.”

At the counter, Buffy ordered, “Green apple, pineapple, and Tiger’s Passion, please!”

Asher grimaced as he exchanged three dollars for ice stained lurid pale green, bright yellow and eye-searing pink nestled in a paper cone and a small plastic spoon.Buffy's enjoyment more than made up for the sno-cones less appealing traits.He was a tiny bit in lust with the way Buffy licked her lips clean between colors, her small pink tongue darting out to lick up little sugary blobs of water.

She looked up at him.He looked away.

Asher peeked at Buffy from the corner of his eye.She was sucking ice chunks off of the spoon.Asher imagined her hot mouth and cold tongue sucking and licking and biting.He shivered.

Asher was mesmerized by the way her throat moved when she swallowed, the way her hand curved around the paper cone, the way her eyes flicked under her lashes.She looked up at him through those lashes, her mouth pretty and pink and slick as it curved ever so slightly in invitation.

Asher leaned in closer, his heart beating wildly and his stomach tight.His scars burned, livid and ugly.Abruptly he turned and strode away from her, desperate to be anywhere else.

“Asher!”A small hand grabbed his arm.“Asher, stop!”

He wrenched his arm out of her grasp with carefully calculated force.A small, shockingly strong hand grabbed his shoulder and hauled him around.A flash of green eyes, hands that grabbed his shoulders and yanked him and the scent of cold sugar water as surprisingly cool lips pressed over his.

Asher stilled.

A cold tongue politely tickled the seam of his lips.He gasped and the tongue slipped inside.She was the sweetest thing he had tasted in a little over two hundred years.

 

 

**#049. First Times**

The first time that Buffy leaned up to softly kiss the corner of his mouth closest to his scars, Asher flinched away from her.

Buffy took the step that he had given up, leaned up again, and gently kissed the corner of his mouth again. This time, Asher stood still and let her.

Her lips were very soft.

The next time, Buffy kissed the edge of his scars.

Asher heaved an unneeded breath at that, her first deliberate contact with his scars. Then he kissed her tenderly. He kissed her again and then again for good measure, his lips meeting hers. When Buffy tried to tug him into her apartment, Asher gently pulled back.

“Good night, Buffy.”

"Night, Asher."

Her smile dazzling, she turned to go into her apartment.

“Buffy?”

She spun around to face him, her eyes wide and hopeful.“Yes, Asher?”

“Thanksgiving this year..." he said with some difficulty."I understand that it is a holiday for families.Will you be able to spend any of it with me?”

Buffy’s smile faded then became blinding.“I’d love to!”

Asher beamed."Which days?"

"The weekend days." She twisted her fingers together. "Is that too many?"

Asher kissed her again.

 

 

**#008 Illness**

When Asher called to invite Buffy to a concert, she sounded ill.

"Don't worry," she rasped. "I'm sure that it'll be cleared up by Saturday."

"Yes, you sound better already," Asher said dryly.

"Excuse me," Buffy said."I've got to go vomit and stand in a cold shower.See you then."

On Saturday Asher, bouquet in hand, knocked on Buffy's apartment door.

Nothing.

Asher knocked again.

Still nothing.

Asher tried the doorknob.It was locked.He pressed his ear against the wood and listened hard.Very faintly he heard a distant rhythmic wheezing.

_Buffy is in there and in some sort of distress._

Asher twisted the doorknob until it broke.

He stalked through Buffy's undecorated living room and into her bedroom.He was surprised to see that it had all of the care and decoration that the living room lacked.The carpet was thick and the walls were painted pale blue.There was a long, low dressing table and chair, a full length mirror, and a large bed.Heaped over the chair was a pile of wrinkled clothing.The bed was a mess of tangled blankets and pillows.

The wheezing was coming from the center of the mound of blankets.

“Buffy!”

A rumpled blonde head poked its way out of the nest of blankets.She blinked up at him blearily, her eyes red-rimmed and bright with fever.

“You're ill,” Asher said as he looked for a phone.There was one on her bedside table."You need a doctor."

Asher dumped the bouquet on the chair and strode over to the telephone.He picked up the receiver and dialed the Circus' number.

“I’m not sick,” Buffy said as she depressed the hook switch, hanging up the telephone.“It's poison.I think it’s clearing up.”

Asher stared at her.Then he very carefully hung up the telephone's receiver.

"What can I do to help you?"

“You aren't going to ask any other questions?”

“No,” Asher said, aware that his voice was too tight and controlled and final.

 _I don’t want to know anything that could ruin what I have right now_.

Buffy smiled at him."How did you get in?"

"Through your front door.I should get that fixed."

While Asher was speaking to his assistant, Buffy took his hand.Asher was alarmed by the heat of it.Buffy was burning up.

Ten minutes later, a repairman had been engaged to fix her door and someone (probably Jason) had been instructed to purchase and drop off groceries and over the counter medication.Buffy was drowsing.

When Asher hung up the telephone, he dug Buffy out of her nest of blankets and lifted her into his arms.She was a small, soft, and far too warm weight against his chest.Buffy, who was dressed in flannel pajamas and smelled of sweat, disinfectant, and blood, shivered.

“I’m c-cold Asher.”

“And about to be colder,” Asher said grimly as he carried Buffy into the bathroom.

He helped her undress, much to her discomfort.

“I’m not going to ravish you,” he said sharply as he twisted the shower’s water knob.He made certain that the shower's temperature was cool, even by a vampire's standards.“Despite these looks, I have never forced myself on a woman.”

It was as surprising as it was true.Even before he had lost his beauty, most of Belle's entertainment had been at his expense.

Buffy thumped his arm hard enough to make Asher wince.

“That never even crossed my mind.It’s been a long time since anyone wanted to take care of me.”She shrugged and winced when the movement pulled on a particularly nasty bite wound.“I’m not used to it anymore.”

Asher, inexplicably remembering that night outside the opera house, softened.This moment, as quiet and removed as that one had been, was a second chance to do what he had wanted to do even back then.

He cupped one burning cheek in his own cool hand and leaned down to kiss her.Buffy's mouth was soft and yielding but so terribly, terribly hot.It was like kissing a particularly attractive volcano, complete with a soft, slick magma flow sliding against his own tongue.Buffy whimpered into his mouth, pulling him closer and kissing him more fiercely.

Asher was more than happy to demonstrate to her the culmination of over five hundred years of experience.No one, not even Jean-Claude, had his skill.

“Let me take care of you,” he murmured when Buffy broke the kiss to wheeze and gasp.

“Okay," she whispered.Buffy grinned."But I'm definitely going to take advantage of you, Asher.”

Asher quirked his lips into a faint smile.“I look forward to fulfilling your every whim.”

And to his surprise, he genuinely meant it.It had been a very long time since he had given enough of a damn to even consider trying such a thing.

Buffy smiled shyly.

“Thanks.”Her fever flushed cheeks darkened.“But I _meant_ that I'm totally going to ravish you.Eventually.When I’m feeling better.”

Asher gaped.Then he dumped her under the freezing shower spray.

Buffy shrieked.

 

 

**#047 Fantasies**

Buffy awoke the next night to the most divine scent.Her stomach rumbling, she staggered out of bed and into the bathroom.

In her kitchen she found a new table and Asher standing in front of the stove.He was wearing a long white coat over his clothes and stirring something in a pot.The new kitchen table was filled up with unfamiliar paperwork and a softly humming laptop.There were slightly wilted pink roses in a lovely crystal vase in the center of the mess.It was a scene totally worth being mostly helpless to see.

“Go back to bed,” Asher ordered without looking away from his concoction.

“I’m better!And I’m starving!”

Asher snorted.“Doubtful.”

He dropped a pinch of… something green… into the pot.

_How did he put together such a yummy-smelling thing?He can't even taste his work!_

Buffy sidled closer.“Mmmmm.Smells good.”

“I was going to bring it to you in your bed.”

“But I’m here now.You could feel me here.And now.Right now.It smells _so_ good.”

Asher put another pinch of green stuff in the pot of soup.Without breaking his stirring rhythm, he pressed a hand to her forehead.

“You’re still a little too hot.Go take a cool shower.”

“Asher–”

“It will be ready by the time that you get out of the shower and I finish attending to your wounds.Standing here will not make your soup finish faster.”

Buffy pouted at him.

Asher ignored her.

Sighing dramatically, Buffy did her best to flounce out of the kitchen.It was hard to do in her dancing cow pajamas.

When Buffy got out of the shower, Asher was waiting for her with her first aid kit.Arranged on the counter with military precision were rolls of gauze, antiseptics, and tubes of ointment.

“Let me see your injuries.”

Buffy hesitated, clutching her towels closer.

_Will he totally freak out when he sees how quickly I heal?_

Asher narrowed his pale eyes at Buffy.His features settled into his version of the Resolve Face.

_Dammit._

With a sigh, Buffy submitted to his careful ministrations.

“This wasn’t how I planned for you to see me naked,” she complained as he gently dabbed antiseptic ointment over a bite mark on her forearm.“The first time I was supposed to be sexy and healthy and wearing a lace teddy.You were supposed to be speechless and lustful.”

Ever so faintly, Asher blushed.For a vampire, he was practically scarlet.

Buffy giggled.

Antiseptic swab in hand, Asher leaned over the bite on her shoulder.Last night it had been a sluggishly bleeding open wound.Now it was scabbed over and beginning to close.Asher carefully swabbed the wound with antiseptic, anyway.

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?” Buffy quietly asked while Asher neatly bandaged her wound.

“Okay,” he sighed.Buffy tensed.“What color was the teddy supposed to be?"

It seemed that Buffy was not the only one who indulged in fantasies.

 

 

**#056. Drinking**

On her bedside table was a silver tray.Arranged on it were a line of carefully arranged medications, a tall glass of water, a fine china bowl brimming with pale brown soup, two slices of toast cut diagonally, silverware, and a cloth napkin.

Buffy, safely ensconced in Asher's arms, smiled.

_He has to suspect, even know, what I've done... at least in this world. But he's still so very... Asher._

Asher deposited Buffy on her bed and helped her arrange her nest of pillows and blankets to her liking. As he moved to pull back, Buffy dragged his mouth to hers for a fierce kiss.

Asher responded quickly, even eagerly, as she wordlessly demanded his everything and then took it from him anyway.He moaned and clutched at her, tasting like peppermint and cinnamon toothpaste.

Buffy broke the kiss when she needed to breathe.

“So you don't care?”

"Not even a little bit," he immediately returned. His breath was cool against her lips.

"Did you miss me?"

"Terribly," he said as he pulled back. He kissed the end of her nose in passing. "Now, drink your soup."

Buffy contritely dunked the edge of a bit of toast in her soap.

"Tell me what you got up to while I was away."

While Buffy ate, Asher told her about Jean-Claude's latest foray into designing pirate gear for the modern vampire, Anita's snit over losing another job to The Slayer, and how happy he had been to get the sunflower that Buffy had sent to him while she was... busy working on her assignment.

"It was the highlight of last week," he said. "Jean-Claude has even assigned the job of caring for the sunflower during the daylight hours to Anita’s Vivian. She is to have the flower back on my bedside table every night before I awaken for the evening."

Buffy laughed, more amused by the mental image of a pair of ancient vampires doting on a stupid, gaudy flower than she had a right to be.Asher smiled indulgently and smoothed a palm over her knee.

Her laughing jag left Buffy feeling tired and relaxed. Asher held her hand as she drifted on the edge of sleep. Even though there was a shadow now on their bright, new relationship, he still held her hand like he had been given care of a particularly rare and exquisite piece of china.

It was... nice.

Buffy was nearly asleep when Asher began speaking French to someone. Utterly content, Buffy let Asher's wonderful voice follow her down into her dreams.

 

 

**#074. Faith**

Buffy slept through most of the next day, only shuffling out of bed to use the restroom, take cold showers, smear antibiotic ointment on the worst of her injuries, and eat warmed leftovers.The soup and crackers were still delicious.

When she slept, Buffy dreamed about Dawnie, still fourteen but now lonely and crying and forgotten by everyone but Spike, and The Slayer essence roiled beneath her skin.Dawnie's unhappiness made Buffy unhappy.Buffy's unhappiness made The Slayer unhappy.Buffy's sister-twin-daughter was The Slayer's and The Slayer's prey was Buffy's.That was the way that it had always been between The Slayer and its sheathes.

A tingling against the fine hairs on the back of her neck _(Vampire!)_ jerked Buffy into awareness.

_Who?Asher?_

Buffy had spent enough time with Asher for the nuances of his particular signature to become familiar to her.Underneath the surface of her, The Slayer roiled and shifted, made restless by the reality of that.

There was a polite knock on her bedroom door and then Asher glided into the room.

"I am sorry that I am late," he said as he settled on the edge of her bed.The entirety of his pale face should have been visible to Buffy at that angle but shadows clung to half of his face, giving the false impression that there was secret lighting somewhere in her bedroom."Jean-Claude's human servant was... unhappy."

"Anita Blake?"

"You've heard of her?"

"We share some social circles."Buffy shifted restlessly.Asher gently stroked Buffy's hair back from her face.It felt nice."What was she unhappy about?"

_Is it anything I need to be unhappy about?_

Asher hesitated a moment and then said, "She feels that she is being discriminated against in her capacity as a vampire hunter.Anita suspects that executions that should be rightfully hers are going to a new vampire executioner, one that is new to this territory and unknown to her.She believes that this man is getting her work partially because she is a pretty woman but mostly because of her relationship with Jean-Claude."

"Anita Blake _is_ bleeding jobs but not because she's a chick or because of her boyfriend," Buffy said.Then, to be fair, added, "Well, not because of who or what he is.It's because the word on the street is that people who cross or personally offend her tend to disappear... except for the blood splatters, of course.And the bullet holes.This is supposed to include her romantic rivals, by the way."

Asher's hand paused in its strokes.

"I was unaware that there had been rivals for Jean-Claude's affections."

"I can only tell you what the grapevine told me," Buffy said."And the grapevine says that he was seeing lots of other people before he got with Anita.They're all dead or missing now which is a hell of a coincidence.Even if they can't or won't say anything to her face, people can't help but notice things like that.It's coming out in other ways."

"Do you believe that it was a coincidence, Buffy?"

"There are two things that I don't believed in: coincidences and leprechauns."

"So you believe that Anita killed her romantic rivals?"

"Maybe."

A comfortable silence settled between them.It was dark and quiet and the way that Asher's hand stroked over her hair felt lovely.Buffy was beginning to drift off to sleep again when Asher asked, "Have you ever killed anyone without a warrant of execution?"

Buffy was instantly alert.

"In this country?Not since the laws came into effect," Buffy said carefully."In countries without laws protecting the supernatural?Yes.Frequently."

"You take your oath to uphold the laws of this country and kill only at the behest of the state very seriously, then?"

"Yes."

"You would not kill for your own benefit?"

"No."

"And if I were to break this country's laws, say by making people that I dislike disappear, and have a trial and be deemed worthy of execution... Would you serve it?"

"Yes," Buffy whispered without hesitation.Because, at the end of all things, she would always and forever be The Slayer.

Asher seemed to consider that carefully.

"I believe that you would."His hand stilled in her hair.Asher leaned closer to her, his pale blue eyes glowing.Buffy wondered if it was for her benefit.She could no longer remember what normal humans could or could not see in the dark.A vampire, however, would have cause to know such a thing."I shall be careful to abide by this country's laws."

Buffy smiled up at him, a knot loosening in her chest.

"Yeah?"

"Yes.You took a risk in choosing me.I will not allow your faith to be misplaced.I will never break your heart."

"Asher, you can't make promises like that.No one can.Sometimes life just happens and-"

"You'll see," he said with the absolute, arrogant conviction of a king."I am the most worthy risk you have ever taken."

Smiling, Asher leaned back.Buffy's heart went silly and fluttery.

"Have you eaten today?"

"Leftovers?"

"Go take a shower.I will order you suitable food and then come dress your injuries."

Buffy pouted up at him."You aren't going to cook for me?"

"I will make something for you to consume tomorrow," he promised."Now, go shower!"

Buffy went.

 

 

**#069. Spell**

The nights cooking for Buffy, bandaging her injuries, dumping her in cold showers, and holding her close while she drowsed wove a love spell through Asher.

For some, love was born in the pursuit of another.For others, it was born in shared passions, in reflections of oneself.For Asher, it was born in caring for another's needs.

It was not something that had come up often in Asher's life, as either a man or a vampire.

Asher had been born into one of the most decadent courts in Europe.He had always enjoyed expensive clothes, fine wine, decadent foods, handsome men, and beautiful women.Asher had never been without people or things or diversions.

He had loved his life.

Becoming a vampire had been something of a disappointment.It had done spectacular things for his hair and teeth, of course, but there were no more hurried afternoon assignations in dusty rooms or slow, lazy fucks in the early morning before he was really ready to get up, wines made him horribly sick, food made him sicker, and his maker did not allow potential sexual rivals to set foot on her lands.

(Her parties had been revelations, however.Whatever innocence Asher had overlooked in himself, Belle had debauched right out of him.)

It was not until Asher had met Julianna, while attending to Belle's interests in another's court, that Asher had learned to enjoy evenings spent at home with one person, the person that mattered most.

To Asher, love was cooking and reading and holding his hands perfectly still while Julianna did inscrutable things with yarn.It was buying her gifts that she liked, taking pleasure in her joy, and being the man that he saw reflected in her eyes.It was never becoming bored with having the same lover over and over again because everything was always better with Julianna.

Through Julianna had come Jean-Claude.Beautiful Jean-Claude had been both of theirs.

Asher had learned to prefer his own company after... after Julianna's loss and Jean-Claude's betrayal.

Buffy was nothing like Julianna or Jean-Claude.And the man that she saw when she looked at him was a man that Asher had thought lost the night that he had awoken in Belle's arms.Perhaps it was a man that he had never cultivated the strength or desire to be.But for Buffy's sake, Asher was certainly going to try.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	4. "Unless you would like me to stop?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#030. Costumes**

"Asher!There's a Memorial Day sale this weekend!"Buffy, who had plopped herself in Asher's lap under the guise of 'straightening his collar,' smiled up at Asher winsomely."Let's go to it!"

Asher floundered for a reason not to attend.While he dearly valued time spent with Buffy, large crowds still filled him with terror.What if someone saw his _face?_ What if Buffy did?A few kisses were nothing compared to being seen and examined.What if Buffy was ashamed to be discovered with one such as him?

"I must work?"

"Liar."Buffy pouted at him prettily.“If you come and help me pick out a couple of things, I'll model them for you."

‘A couple of things’ turned out to be handfuls of brightly colored scraps of fabric.Buffy claimed they were swimming costumes.

Buffy pranced out of the dressing room in several of the costumes but it was the white one that tied at the back of her neck, over the center of her back, and on either hip that made Asher catch an unneeded breath.Between her breasts, right over her breastbone, was a metallic oval.Through the golden oval's center, a tiny peep of skin teased him.

Asher _needed_ to lick that wicked peep of skin.

When Buffy winked at him then darted back into a tiny dressing room, Asher darted after her.

He lifted her up, pressed her against the nearest fake wall, and loved the sound of her giggles and the feel of her legs eagerly wrapping around his hips.When Asher dipped his head to lick and suck at that wicked, teasing peep of skin and the metal oval that framed it, Buffy arced against him.Her hands moved restlessly over him, scratching at his scalp, dragging through his hair, and cupping his cheeks.

Asher froze.

So did Buffy.

Panic, abject shame, and terror welled up in him.

When she finger-combed his hair away from his face, Asher closed his eyes and resisted the temptation to hide his flaws.Asher let Buffy examine him, tilting his head this way and that as she did. She rubbed her thumb over a raised ridge of twisted flesh.

Soft lips pressed a softer kiss to his twisting scars.She brushed a second kiss against his cheek and a third against the bridge of his nose.As Buffy peppered his face with kisses, Asher cried.

 

 

**#013. Winter**

Asher had never particularly enjoyed ice skating.Despite his grace, both as a mortal man and later as a vampire, he had never had much skill with any of the more practical sports.He had always avoided duels wherever possible (and counted on his durability as a vampire when he could not), preferred loving to hunting, and generally avoided places with long winters and large amounts of ice.(Their wonderfully long nights were usually bitterly cold too.)Even as a vampire, Asher disliked the cold.

Buffy, of course, was shockingly athletic.She was good at all of the practical sports, enjoyed dueling, and had no problems with sweat.And she adored the ice.She was probably a better hunter than Asher, too.

Even though Asher disliked ice skating in general, he enjoyed visiting the ice skating rink with Buffy.On ice skates, Buffy was poetry in motion.She zipped and spun around him, alternately laughing at Asher and trying to "help" him.Somehow, her help always involved thoroughly groping him.

And afterwards, when their dates ended, Asher walked Buffy to her door and then demonstrated one of _his_ areas of prowess.Asher took great pleasure in kissing Buffy senseless.

"Come inside tonight, Asher," Buffy asked between kisses one night."Please, Asher."

Asher shuddered.

"Buffy... I'm not ready," Asher said, knowing that he would never, ever be ready to take his clothes off and stand naked before Buffy.

"Not for very long," Buffy breathed against his mouth."Just kisses."

 _"Just_ kisses," Asher stressed.

"Mhmm," Buffy hummed, her mouth otherwise occupied.

Still entwined together, they stumbled into Buffy's apartment.

They were kissing on the couch when Asher felt the press of warm hands against his bare stomach.One hand slid up smooth, taut skin while the other delicately explored the scarred mess on his other side.Under him, Buffy was still warm and pliant and responsive.

Asher shivered against her but, when Buffy began to unbutton, untuck, and peel off his layers, Asher let her do as she wished.The air in her apartment was nearly as warm as her hands.

Buffy squirmed when Asher kissed down the length of her belly.

"I thought you said that you were only ready for kisses and _just_ kisses?" Buffy teased.

"And it will be the best kiss that you've ever gotten," Asher promised as he unbuttoned her jeans."Unless you would like me to stop?"

"Don't you dare," Buffy gasped.

Asher kissed her thoroughly.

Afterwards, Buffy pulled him up the length of her.Asher ended up snuggled half on top of her with one arm around her waist and his sex pressed against her hip.

"Let me kiss you," Buffy murmured as she tried to rearrange them.

"This is fine," Asher gasped.He ground his arousal against her hip and tightened his arm around her waist."Kiss my mouth?"

Surrounded by Buffy's warmth and scent and with her tongue stroking into his mouth, Asher died a small death.

Afterwards, Asher kissed Buffy's mouth with clumsy, inexpressible gratitude as she pulled the couch's afghan over them.She cuddled against Asher's side, her cheek pressing against his disfigurement and her fingers exploring the rough topography of his scars.

Asher tried to flinch away from her.

“Don’t.” he blurted.“It’s ugly.”

Buffy frowned, her arm sliding across his waist.

“ _You’re_ not ugly."Her fingers curled around his trouser-clad hip possessively."I hardly even notice them."

Asher snorted.He refused to trust the scent of truth lingering in the air.

"How could you not?You have no memories of me when I was whole to superimpose over... this," he said, touching a scar on his side.

"Honestly, I'm probably crazy about you.You're the first blond that I've ever dated."

It was impossible to see Buffy's face from that angle.Asher could hear the amusement in her voice, though.

"Truly?"

"Yes."Asher could feel her smile, and the heat of her blush, against his chest."I usually go for the dark-haired athletic type. Guys who can fight and dance with me and make soulful eyes at me.It's been years since I've gone so slowly with any romance.You're not my type at all.But I lo... _want_ you more than anything."

The words _'athletic'_ and _'brunet'_ had never described him; not even when he was human.He had never particularly enjoyed any aspect of combat (nor had he ever had any flair for it) and he had always had too much self-respect to make soulful eyes at anyone, even Julianna and Jean-Claude.

"I can dance," Asher insisted.In a moment of reckless happiness, he added, "And I love you too, Buffy."

Her arms held him far too tightly.Asher relished it.

"May I kiss you again?" he gravely inquired."To celebrate."

"Who am I to turn down a vigorous... celebration?"

 

 

**#009. Writing**

Buffy breezed into Asher’s office, his poor assistant trailing after her.As always her eyes flickered over Asher then everything else in the room before settling back on him.Buffy beamed at Asher.As always, the werewolf waited until Asher acknowledged him before he peeled away from Buffy and slunk out of the office.Ignoring the byplay, Buffy flopped into one of the two chairs across from Asher’s desk.

“Ready to go?”

“I cannot.”

“What?Why?”

Asher did not look up from the report that he was trying to decipher.The tone was vaguely hysterical and most of it seemed to be in Greek.Greek had always been a sore point for him.

“Some troubling news came in from a nearby territory.”

“Which nearby territory?"

Asher pursed his lips.He was certain that Buffy knew exactly which territory.He was nearly as confident that the report that he was trying to decipher was about her.

"Is it the one with that permanently dead Vampire-guy?Lurch?Lunch?Luscious?"

"Lucian."

"Did you know him?"

Asher thought he heard the question, _'Are you upset with me?'_ in the question that Buffy actually asked.

"We were acquainted but no, we were never close."

He refused to directly answer questions that pertained to Buffy's more clandestine activities.Answering them meant that he acknowledged them.Acknowledging them meant admitting to himself how she afforded her shoe addiction.

"Ah."There was a beat of silence then, "Hey, did you read today's paper?there was an article about him and The Slayer and his execution."

"No," Asher said as he buzzed for his assistant.

Asher soon had a selection of newspapers.While he perused them, Buffy perused the contents of his desk.Since nothing on it (or in it) was in English, he felt safe allowing her to exercise her curiosity.

When he glanced up between perusing newspapers, Buffy was making notes on one of his papers.

“Hey!” She squawked when he snatched the paper out from under her pen.It left a long smear of ink across _his_ report.It was still in Greek but there were neat lines of translation over the lines of Greek.“I was reading that!”

At his pointed look she huffed, “I can read other languages!It's a thing!”

“It is an impressive thing," he said warmly.Buffy, who was in the middle of settling into what promised to be a truly spectacular sulk, glanced up at him.She seemed surprised and pleased and oddly vulnerable in the wake of his compliment.

"You think so?"

"Yes."

Buffy smiled.She relaxed into his desk chair.

That was the moment Jean-Claude chose to join them.

When Jean glided into the room, he appeared cool, composed, and collected to the unversed eye.The way he fidgeted with a cuff as he spoke to Buffy betrayed his nerves to Asher's more familiar eye.

“Mademoiselle Buffy.I did not expect to find you here this evening.”

“She was just leaving.”

Buffy threw Asher a dirty look.

"As soon as I finish that translation for you," she said with faux sweetness.When she held out a hand for Asher's correspondence, he grudgingly relinquished it to her.

To Jean-Claude, Asher said, "She's better at Greek than I am."

Jean-Claude frowned."The information in that report is sensitive."

"So far, it's all stuff that I already know," Buffy said without looking up.Asher had no doubt of it since The Slayer was the topic of the correspondence.He refused to even consider why Buffy would be so knowledgeable regarding the mysterious vampire hunter."I'm a vampire slaying groupie."

Asher, who had no breath to choke on, was impressed that she could say that last bit with a straight face.He was even more impressed that it somehow came across as the truth.

Jean-Claude made an irritable noise.

"I'm sorry," Asher said in French.He was genuinely sorry to be a source of distress for his old friend."I honestly didn't know that she could read Greek when I allowed her access to my things.I never thought anything would come of indulging her."

Jean-Claude settled under the truth in his words.

"I'm not a _child,"_ Buffy said in flawless French.She was glaring at both he and Jean-Claude."And I don't appreciate being talked about while I'm sitting _right here._ Honestly, I'm beginning to get why most people don't like vampires.You're so damn smug and stuck up and condescending."

Buffy stood up, knocking Asher's desk chair back in the process.

"Translate your own damn letters."

She stormed out of the office.

"Do you think she knows German?" Asher finally asked.

It was silly but he enjoyed having a secret code with Jean-Claude.Jean seemed to enjoy their 'secret' too.

"Ma petite knows bits and pieces of German.How about Russian?"

"That could work."

 

 

**#090. Angst**

When Buffy could not see him, due to social, scholastic, athletic, or employment obligations, Asher spent his free time reading, writing in his journal, or in front of the fake fireplace in the main room, staring up at himself, Jean-Claude, and Julianna.He wished that Buffy was in the picture with them.He wished that he could still get roaring drunk.

 _I am having sex with another woman,_ he mentally told Julianna. _She is very beautiful.I am not.She has not yet seen the full reality of me but I believe that she wants to.I am so terribly afraid, my love.I should leave her, now, before she rejects me.But I cannot do without her.What should I do?_

Julianna's twin done in pigment and canvas had no answers.

Asher went out to the nearest liquor store, bought the best vodka it stocked and tried to get roaring drunk. Half a bottle later, Asher was not drunk. He was desperately ill, though.

As he huddled on his bathroom's floor, his forehead pressed to the toilet’s cool porcelain, Asher tried to ignore the silent watcher standing in the doorway.Another round of heaving up blood, vodka, and bile left him uncaring.So what if Jean-Claude saw this?Jean-Claude had seen him at worse moments.

“Asher, you must stop this.”

Defiant and surly, Asher took another long pull of alcohol.And promptly doubled over in agony.

He vomited again.When he finally finished and flushed away his shame, Asher slumped against the toilet.Ignoring the way the sticky ends of his hair clung to his neck, Asher hefted his bottle.

Jean-Claude darted across the room.He grabbed Asher’s wrist with one hand and the bottle with the other.

“Enough, Asher.”

Asher glared.“Mind your own affairs, Jean-Claude.”

Jean-Claude looked pained.“You are my affair.”

Asher’s lips twisted bitterly.“Only when Anita permits it.”

Jean-Claude frowned.“Are you truly upset about Anita and I?”

More gut-wrenching heaving and vomiting.When he finished, Asher whispered, “No.”

“Mademoiselle Buffy will return to you.”

Asher rolled his head against the toilet bowl, its coolness moving from his forehead to his temple.He stared at the cross-shaped burn on his former lover’s chest.

“I hate her,” Asher admitted.Jean Claude startled."She makes me want things I cannot have.She makes me forget things.The past.The present."

“Then she does not deserve your hatred.”

His eyes moved up to meet Jean Claude’s own.

“I don’t think about Julianna.”He clawed at the ruined side of his face, digging his nails into tangled hair and ruined flesh.“I forget _this_.”

“Loving your Buffy will not hurt Julianna’s memory.Julianna would not want you to suffer for eternity.”

“I do not want to forget Julianna.”

“You won’t.How could you forget a part of your soul?”

Asher shuddered.“What if I fail her as I failed our Julianna?”

“You won’t.”Such faith.Or perhaps he merely meant that women were no longer burned at the stake as witches.“You won’t fail her.She’ll be happy and safe with you.”

“She is capable of doing those things for herself.”

Jean-Claude smiled.“So perhaps you’ll be happy and safe with her.”

Asher smiled back.Smile fading, he made a vague gesture at himself and asked, “What if she won’t touch…”

“She hasn’t seen them?”

Asher looked away.He mumbled, “Some of them.”

“You are a beautiful man, my friend.Your Buffy will be able to see that when the time comes.She will not turn away from you.”

 _“You_ did.”

"You could not stand the sight of me."

The pain and bitterness in Jean-Claude’s voice, in his eyes, made Asher wince.

The moment stretched between them.Things Asher dared not whisper, not two hundred years ago, not yesterday, not today, and probably not tomorrow, cut Asher's throat and pressed against his heart.

Gently, Asher cupped Jean-Claude's cheek with his free hand.Jean-Claude shivered, his grip tightening around Asher’s wrist and his impossibly blue eyes fluttering shut.Asher’s thumb flickered across Jean-Claude’s cheek in the same soothing fashion that Buffy’s thumb often flickered across the back of his hand when she and Asher held hands.

“I still can’t stand the sight of you, Jean-Claude,” Asher breathed.“For different reasons now.”

Jean-Claude shuddered.His grip on Asher’s wrist tightened so much that it hurt.

Asher caressed Jean-Claude’s cheek one last time then kissed his forehead, uncomfortably aware that he was hideous, dirty, and smelled like vomit, booze, and blood.

Jean-Claude caught an unneeded breath.It sounded like a stillborn sob.He stared at Asher through wide, shattered eyes for several seconds, his chest heaving with his emotions, before Jean-Claude whirled on the ball of one foot and left.Asher's bedroom door slammed shut behind him.

He took Asher’s vodka with him.

 

 

**#006. Blood**

When Asher tried to bite Buffy during sex, she kicked him so hard that he hit the wall opposite of her bed with a resounding _crash._ She was kneeling beside him before Asher finished sitting up.

"Asher!I'm so sorry!" she blurted as she reached for him.Asher, twisting shadows around the ruined half of his face, drew away from her.The hurt and then resignation that flashed across Buffy's features as she sat back on her heels brought Asher no satisfaction.

"I deserve that," Buffy said as she carefully put her hands in her lap."I'm so sorry, Asher.I just... panicked.Why'd you try to bite me?"

"Why wouldn't I?I'm a _vampire!"_

"You've never tried to bite me before," she said, one of her hands coming up to press against the side of her throat opposite to the side that Asher had tried to bite."I'm _not_ okay with fangy-biting."

"Mere chance, I assure you," Asher said bitterly.He hated that he suddenly had better insight into Jean-Claude's relationship with his human servant.He was uncertain what he would do if Buffy point blank refused to allow biting in their relationship because of some silly human prejudices but, whatever he did, it would break his heart."Vampires do not bite solely for sustenance, Buffy.We bite to express ourselves.Anger, disdain, power, friendship, and even love can all be contained within a bite.It was... I love you... and showing you with a bite... why wouldn't I show you how much I love you, Buffy?"

Buffy sucked in a sharp breath.Her skin was very pale and her eyes were very green.

"Biting is... really important, huh?But I just... I can't... I’ve been bitten three times, Asher.The first time, I died afterwards.The second time nearly killed me.The hospital had to reconstruct part of my throat and give me blood transfusions.The third felt nice but he was a deranged stalker and I didn't want it.Asher, I can't hold still and let you or anyone else bite me a fourth time.I just can't.It feels like giving up or failing or- or-”

"Sssshhh, my heart," Asher murmured as he reached for Buffy.He pulled her close and smoothed his hand over her narrow back and loose hair.Despite her distress, she relaxed against him.Asher's heart ached with love for her."I understand.There are things that I might enjoy or used to enjoy that I can no longer stomach even the idea of enduring again because of the memories that I associate with them.I would not limit myself so that you could pretend that you have a human lover, Buffy, but I can restrain myself to avoid causing you further harm."

Buffy brought her arms up and around her waist.She squeezed him tightly."Thank you."

"It's nothing," Asher assured her."But it's a pity.My bite is the greatest pleasure left to my lovers."

Buffy laughed.It was watery but cheerful.

"You're kidding right?" she asked as she drew back.Buffy's face was flushed pink and her eyes were slightly over bright."This is the best sex that I've ever had.If it gets much better than this, I might not survive it."

Asher laughed, delighted by the truth that he could taste in her words."But what a way to go, eh?"

Buffy laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder."Hey, are you going to stop doing that thing?"

“What are you–”

“The shadowy face thing!”

“You can tell?”

Buffy rolled her eyes.“Of course I can tell!Now make it stop!”

It was an effort to untwist the shadows and disperse them.

"There you are," Buffy murmured as she raked Asher's hair back with her fingers.Asher leaned into her touch."We should make up.Sexually."

"I'd like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	5. "It is a village cut off from the world by a sea of trees."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#086. Forest**

Asher called Buffy while he waited for Anita and the wereleopards at the airport.When he broke off their date, he made certain to frame traveling to Richard's aid as a business trip.

"If you've got to work, you've got to work," she said philosophically."But I'll miss you."

Warmth licked at Asher's heart.

"And I shall miss you," he promised."I regret that you shall have to attend the museum alone."

He genuinely enjoyed helping Buffy with the assignments for her art appreciation class.

"We can go again when you get back," Buffy promised.

"I did not think that you enjoyed art so much."

"I don't.I mean, it's cool and everything but I like it best when you're telling me some silly old story about the artist or the subject or whatever."

Asher smiled.Jason, who was seeing to some details of the baggage with the flight crew, arched his eyebrows at Asher who turned his back and pretended not to see the young werewolf.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" Buffy asked."We could go out and do something to celebrate."

"Non," Asher said with genuine regret."I am to stay until this matter is resolved, one way or the other."

"That's cool," Buffy said."If you're there too long, I'll just drop in for a visit."

Asher smiled, touched that she might miss him enough to go so far out of her way and seek him out across state lines.

"Better to stay well enough away," he said with real regret edging his voice."Vampire politics are dangerous and unpleasant at the best of times and this is hardly that.I would hate for you to get mixed up in these affairs."

"Is what you're doing dangerous?" Buffy asked sharply.

"Non, not at all," Asher hastily said, his accent thickening."I am just to speak and smooth the way for another."

"Like a diplomat?"

"Exactly!"

"Well, that's good," Buffy said with real relief in her voice."No one's allowed to hurt the diplomats."

Asher decided not to mention that among vampire, they were often killed first as a sign of imminent aggressions.

"I will be very careful," he promised.

Asher was thoroughly gratified when Buffy said, "I'm glad to hear it."

"I must go," Asher said as Damien approached.He was dressed like he had come directly from Dance Macabre and had a duffle bag slung over one shoulder."I shall call you soon, perhaps tomorrow or the next night."

"I'll look forward to it," Buffy promised.She hesitated a moment and then said more seriously, "Be careful, Asher."

"I will be very careful," Asher promised as Jason joined Damien."Goodbye, Buffy."

"Bye, Asher."

He tucked his cell phone away and went to join Jason and Damien.

Asher called Buffy the next night while Anita was off making friends (and probably threatening to shoot people.)For the sake of privacy, Asher took his phone call outside.

"You would hate it here," Asher confided."It is a village cut off from the world by a sea of trees."

Buffy laughed."I don't think we have villages in this country, only really small towns."

"Well, this must be one of your smallest towns.I am to share a one-room log cabin with six other people and only one of those people is another vampire."

"Ugg," Buffy said."That sounds like my apartment in L.A.It's horrible.Don't leave your stuff out or your towel in the bathroom.And don't forget to wear sandals in the shower."

Asher smiled."I won't.When did you live in... L.A.?"

"Los Angeles," Buffy said helpfully."And I had that apartment when I was seventeen.My mother and I'd had a huge fight and when she said for me not to come back, I thought she meant it.I spent three months waiting tables at a greasy little diner and sharing a one-room apartment with seven other girls."

"That sounds... unpleasant.Did your parents come for you?"

Buffy laughed.The sadness in the sound made Asher's heart ache.

"No.I found out later that they never even looked for me.I ran into an old friend who was having some serious problems with her boyfriend.So I gave her my name - I was going by Anne Smith at the time - and my job and my place in that crappy apartment and went home to face the music."

Astounded by Buffy's generosity, Asher asked, "Were your parents happy to see you?"

"My father never even noticed that I was missing.He'd spent the entire time I was gone in Spain, banging his secretary.My mom cried when I got back and let me move in again which was something, I guess.And Dawnie, my little sister, was ridiculously happy to have me home."Asher could hear the smile in Buffy's voice."She made me a banner and these disgusting toaster waffles and snuck into bed with me every night for, like, a month."

"That is very sweet."

"Dawnie has her moments," Buffy agreed.There was a brief lull in their words.Asher, listening to Buffy's soft breaths through their electronic connection, felt content.

"I must go," Asher said with real regret when Jason stepped out of the shared cabin."May I call you again?"

"Of course!I'll look forward to it!"

"Until then, good night, Buffy."

"Night, Asher."

 

 

**#101. Bite**

"I bit a man's genitals not a half an hour ago.But there is a reasonable explanation."

There was a beat of silence on the other end of the telephone line.

"Hello to you too," Buffy said at last."I think I'm ready to hear the explanation now."

When Asher explained, he took care to emphasize the non-sexual nature of the encounter for both himself and the wereleopard Nathaniel who had suffered a horrific form of poisoning.

Buffy was very quiet.Asher was very still.

"I'm glad that he's not dead," she said at last."He's not, right?"

"He has survived.Damien did too."

"Why... would Damien not have survived?He's a vampire too, isn't he?"

"Yes but Damien is not a master nor will he ever be."

"And that... matters?"

"Sometimes."

When Asher finished explaining the differences between the heads of lines, masters, and minions, Buffy made a low noise of admiration.

"What a sucktastic system," she said."I'm glad that you're all alive."

"Indeed."

"And, like, all of you need to drag snack-packs like Nathaniel around?"

"Only when we are in territories where we are not permitted to feed by the local master," Asher said."It is analogous to humans packing supplies for a long expedition across unfriendly terrain, perhaps an ocean or a dessert."

“Does it have to be human blood?” Buffy asked hoarsely.

“Yes,” Asher whispered, suddenly afraid.There were some things that simply could not be done, not even for the love of a woman."I have only twice seen a vampire try to take an animal's blood.Both were members of my line and one was my brother in all but blood.Their deaths were long and... truly horrific."

“Oh.Does it have to come straight from the tap?”

A knot loosened in Asher's heart at Buffy's easy acceptance of his explanation.“Yes.”

"So is getting a bag of blood from the blood bank entirely out?Would it kill you?"

"I do not know," Asher replied."I do not wish to be the first to experiment with such a food source, however."

"I get that, especially after the animal blood trials."

"Exactly."Asher hesitated a moment, uncertain that he wanted to bring the matter up after it seemed to have settled.However, it was difficult not to worry when he saw the complications that Anita and Richard created in Jean-Claude's affairs."Are you upset?"

"About what?You biting that kid's groin?"

"...Yes."

"No.It saved his life.And it wasn't a cheating thing.I... don't know if I could've done that but it was really heroic that you did."

Asher smiled."I have never been called that before."

"I bet you've never sucked down poison to save an idiot's life before."

"That too was a first," Asher admitted."Have you had any firsts since I've left?"

They spoke of Buffy's training and her general hatred of popular movies until Anita stormed out of the shared cabin.

"I must go," Asher said with real regret."May I call you tomorrow night?"

"You can call me any time you want," Buffy assured him."I'm a night person.It's great that you and I share our best hours."

Asher smiled."Until then."

 

 

**#004. Prophecy**

When he realized that Anita was watching him as intently as she had ever watched Jean-Claude, Asher felt a thrill of flustered pleasure.Buffy looked at him and responded to his advances as if he was still beautiful, of course, and he always felt handsome in her eyes.But he suspected his lover of being blinded by her emotions.Anita, however, was not in love with him.And yet, she looked at him as if she would very much like to touch him.

Asher had always enjoyed being looked at like that.Even when he had known that no good would come of such a look, Asher had enjoyed being the object of the look itself.

Since he was damp and wearing a towel, tightly knotted at his waist, with his wet hair leaving all of his facial scars on display, it was doubly lovely to feel such a look upon him.His worst scars were still safely hidden, of course, but his chest and face and the side of his throat were all on full display and yet Anita still looked at him as if he was still worthy of being Jean-Claude's rival.

When Anita reached out to toy with the knot on his towel, however, Asher drew away from her.His pleasure in her gaze had fled, leaving only discomfort and the vague sense of danger hanging over him.He could see it as clearly as if it were a prophecy written in a book.Allowing Anita's familiarities would lose him Buffy, even if he never pursued Anita's unspoken invitation or even encouraged her attentions.

"Asher..." Anita said helplessly."You're beautiful to me."

"Thank you," he said stiffly.Asher clutched his white shirt and folded leather trousers in front of his chest."I must dress and blow dry my hair.Excuse me."

Of course, when he tried to escape back to the bathroom, it was locked.Asher broke the lock with a twist of his wrist and swept into the tiny room.Warm, damp air curled around him as he shut the door after himself.

"Hey!" yelped Damien over the spray of the shower."Get out!"

"If you will ignore my presence, I will ignore yours," Asher said crisply as he passed the shower without so much as glancing at its white shower curtain.

The bathroom was long and narrow.There was the shower stall itself, of course, and the small space in front of it.Nestled against its back side was the toilet with the sink across from it.Towel racks hung from the wall in front of the shower and behind the toilet.Asher went to change in the narrow space between the toilet and the sink where he would be safely out of Damien's line of sight.

Nevertheless, Asher was careful to pull his leather trousers on, arrange himself in them, and button and zip them before he removed his towel.He hung his towels out to dry on the towel rack across from the shower.

As Asher carefully blow dried and styled his hair, Damien grumbled to himself in a language that had died long before even Asher had been born.Asher generously pretended not to notice.When he exited the bathroom, he heard the shower shut off.

Anita was staring at the bathroom door as if she had been waiting for him to leave its sanctuary.Perhaps she had been doing just that.

"Damien is finished with the shower," Asher said."He will be out in a moment."

"You look good," Anita said.She drifted closer to Asher."Really handsome."

"Thank you," Asher said.He leaned back and out of her reach when Anita reached toward his shirt, presumably to straighten its already straight collar.Hurt flashed across her features.

"Wow," said Jason from the other side of the room. "You've got her looking and you're not even interested.Or is it because you're playing hard to get?"

"Shut up, Jason!" snapped Anita.

"Jealous?" purred Asher, eager to turn the attention from himself onto the werewolf.

"Yeah," Jason said frankly."I've been trying to get her to look at me, I mean at all, for months.And you've got it but you're not even interested."

"No," he agreed, ignoring Anita's tiny flinch."I'm not interested.Excuse me."

Asher grabbed a pair of his thick socks and his boots and went outside, preferring to finish dressing on the porch than in the room that he shared.Jason joined him a few minutes later.

"Sorry," he said as he sat down next to Asher with his own socks and shoes."I never know when to shut up.It's a thing."

It was a _'thing'_ that Asher could relate to.He really did like Jean-Claude's choice in servants.

"It's fine," Asher said.He was surprised to find that it actually _was_ fine."It needed to be said."

"But maybe not so bluntly."

Asher shrugged.

"It will prevent misunderstandings in the future, I think.Are you serious in your pursuit of Anita?"

"Noooo, not exactly," Jason reluctantly admitted."I just don't want to be part of the scenery, you know?I just want... to be worth remembering.To be acknowledged, I guess.Somehow."

Asher nodded, understanding the impulse.

"Find a love of your own, one who sees only you.I have found that genuine disinterest is the best aphrodisiac to those of Anita's temperament."

Jason laughed merrily.Asher enjoyed it.

"You're really cunning," Jason said.Asher chose to interpret it as a compliment."Too bad you weren't around to help Jean-Claude out when he was trying to get with Anita."

"The only thing that Jean-Claude has never mastered is the art of being disinterested.It is not in his nature," Asher said, smiling fondly.

Occasionally, Asher wondered if Anita's interest in him was a pale reflection of Jean-Claude's interest.It was a silly, selfish thought but one that continued to present itself.

"Too bad for him."

"Indeed," Asher agreed.

 

 

**#010. Dreams**

After Anita turned the werewolves' meeting place into a scene from Dante's inferno, Asher had a great and pressing need to speak with Buffy.Unfortunately, his cellular phone was still safely tucked away in the lining of his coffin since his leather trousers had no pockets to interfere with their lines.He was also covered in slime and blood among other, even less savory, fluids.

It was a relief to shower and to scrub off all remnants of the night's activities.Even if showering alone meant having to scrub all of those difficult places by himself, showering with another had never been an option.Not even Buffy had seen all of him and, if Asher had his way, she never would.

After he had scrubbed everything off, Asher stood in the shower and admired the way that the water ran clear until Damien pounded on the door, asking if he was done yet.

"Nearly!" Asher lied.He made the water hot, enjoyed a turn or two beneath the spray, and got out.A fresh, dry towel knotted around his waist, Asher let Damien into the bathroom.

Damien started stripping even before he closed the bathroom door.While he showered, scrubbed, and cursed, Asher dried and dressed himself.

While Damien finished up, Asher went to telephone Jean-Claude who was understandably worried by whatever he had felt through his bond to Anita.When Asher had finished his report, Damien had made his own, and then Asher reclaimed the telephone.When it was finally Anita's turn to speak with Jean-Claude, Asher noticed that the shower was still running and had, in fact, been running the entire time that he had been on the telephone.

"Who is in the shower?" Asher asked Damien, partially from curiosity and partially to assess if there was anything that he should be concerned about.At that juncture in time, they could ill afford for another young shapeshifter to get himself poisoned or worse.

"Jason was after me," Damien said.He scanned the room.So did Asher."Huh.It might still be Jason.He's been in a long time."

"Yes, he has," Asher said heavily.

When he knocked on the door, and called the young werewolf's name, there was no response.Asher went inside anyway.

A veritable wall of steam slapped against Asher as he stepped into the room.

Jason was huddled under the shower spray, his back to the stream of water.Patches of dried black fluid were stark against the unfortunate shade of red that Jason's skin had turned.When Asher put his hand under the spray, he found that it was hot enough for a vampire to enjoy but far too hot for either Julianna or Buffy to withstand.It was probably too hot to be good for werewolves either.

Asher turned the water down.Jason shivered.

He found a stack of unused wash clothes on the towel rack over the toilet and a half-used bar of soap in the soap dish.Then he joined Jason in the shower, uncaring of the way the water damped his trousers and ruined his shirt.

At the first touch of a soapy washcloth to his back, Jason startled violently, slipped, and choked out a plea that mostly consisted of a few broken, unconnected syllables and an animalistic whine.

"Shhh, my young friend," Asher murmured as he caught Jason under his armpits, avoided an elbow, and righted the young man.He tried to project comfort in his voice."Shhhh, all is well.Allow me to help you with your toilette."

Jason made a choking sound.

"You'll get it off?" he asked, his voice high and very young."I want it all off!But it won't come off!"

"I'll get it off," Asher promised as he set to work scrubbing at the young man's back."You will be clean in no time."

Jason shuddered.

"I won't be.I'll never be clean again."

"It often feels that way when one falls prey to that line," Asher said softly."But in time, you will be well again.Trust me in this, in time your mind will heal."

"I think - I think it's worse every time," Jason whispered."I don't think I'll be able to survive this again.The next time one of them gets me, I think I'll just go mad."

"It is probably worse every time," Asher admitted."That line leaves a mark on the mind or the soul, I know not which, that takes a very long time to fade.When it does, they will still be horrible but not nearly so terrible as they seem to you right now.If you cannot believe me, speak with Damien.His maker was of that line.She is so truly appalling, even by that line's standards, that to this day no one speaks her true name."

"Damien's a rotter?"Panic threaded through Jason's voice.

"Non.Damien did not inherit any of his line's more notable gifts. He merely possesses extensive experience with surviving the rotting terror."

"Are... Are there any of them, of that kind, at home?"

"No.It is unlikely that Jean-Claude would ever allow one who had inherited the full measure of that line's gifts to settle in his territory.Like you, he has many unpleasant memories of the... rotters."

Jason shuddered.

When Jason's back was clean, Asher urged the younger man to stand so that Asher could attend to the back of his thighs and his triceps, both of which had stubborn patches of gunk dried to them.Asher was careful not to ask why they were in the shape of handprints.

"Thank you for this," Jason said when Asher repositioned him again, this time turning the young man to face Asher and the spray of water pounding against Asher's back.Even though the young man's front appeared clean, Asher gave it a cursory rub down.By then, there was a small mound of soiled washcloths in the corner of the shower furthest from Jason.

"It is of no consequence," Asher said as he rinsed the soap off."There have been many times over the years when I have wished someone would do this for me after an unfortunate liaison or... diversion.It is nearly as soothing to be able to do it for someone else.Now, I will do a last inspection and wash with the last washcloth and then you may enjoy the remnants of the hot water."

Asher soaped and inspected every inch of the boy, including the insides of his thighs, between his toes, and behind his ears, and then washed his hair for good measure.When Jason was as clean as he was likely to ever get, Asher tried to excuse himself from the shower.

Jason's grip on his wrist was surprisingly strong, even for a werewolf.

"I will be back soon, my friend," Asher promised."I must change my clothes again, after all."

Jason grudgingly let him go.

Outside of the bathroom, Anita was still speaking with Jean-Claude.Gone were the quiet, fragile tones of before.Now, she sounded defensive and angry.Rather than lingering to discern the nature of Anita's unhappiness, Asher simply directed Damien to retrieve his cell phone and assembled the necessary ensemble, took his cellular phone with a brief word of thanks, and returned to the bathroom.

Jason, who was still in the shower, peeked around the edge of the now less than white shower curtain.His eyes were very large, very blue, and very fragile.

Asher mustered a smile for him.Jason went back to standing under his shower spray.

Asher dried himself with one of the last two remaining towels, dressed, and sat on the closed lid of the toilet.He speed dialed Buffy.Although it had been lovely to speak with Jean-Claude, Asher needed some comforting of his own.Young Jason was not the only one in need of another.

Buffy answered on the third ring and they spoke of inconsequential things since Asher could not admit to her the source of his unsettlement without describing the nature of his business trip or how very close he came to being killed for simply being an 'ambassador' between Anita and the local vampires.Nevertheless, as they spoke, Asher felt the knot of emotion in his chest slowly loosen.Soon, he was relaxed and very nearly happy.

At some point, Jason shut off the shower and came to claim the last dry towel.When he was damp rather than wet, Jason knotted the towel around his waist and sat on the floor.He leaned his blond head against the side of Asher's knee, looped his arms around Asher's calf, and quietly listened to a conversation that Asher was nearly positive that Jason did not understand.Soon, Jason was asleep.

Dreams happened so rarely to vampires that it would be fair to say that they almost never happened to vampires.Asher often missed dreaming since it was the only place in which he was still able to speak with Julianna.Still, it was on night like that one, that Asher was grateful not to dream.It was a blessing to escape the dreams that the werewolf was likely to have.

Perhaps it was his exhaustion or the sound of another's voice, but Jason did not seem to have bad dreams.If anything, he seemed content, nearly happy.

It was with a very real sense of regret that Asher eventually said goodbye to Buffy.

"The sun will rise soon and I must be safely in my coffin, I am afraid," Asher said, in French.The entire conversation had been in French, for privacy's sake.

"I understand," Buffy said."Night, Asher.I love you."

"Good night, Buffy.I love you, too."Asher pocketed his cellular phone and, for the first time, wondered what he was going to do with the werewolf.To Jason, he said, "Jason, you must wake up and go get into bed now."

Jason rumbled something incomprehensible.He tightened his grip on Asher's leg and seemed to slide back into his dreams.

Asher sighed.When he tried to move or remove Jason, there seemed to be no easy escape.

"My young friend, allow me to put you to bed," he murmured as he gently shook Jason's shoulder.

Jason sighed and relaxed his grip."'Kay."

Rather than trying to get Jason on his feet, Asher simply picked him up and carried him to the bed that the shapeshifters seemed to be sharing.He deposited Jason with the others who snuggled up to him, towel and all.

"Damien says that you showered with Jason," Anita said, her voice low and her expression very odd.

"He needed someone to scrub his back," Asher said calmly as he settled into his coffin."Do not make more of it than it was."

"Right.Uh, well, I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Good night, Anita."

 

 

**#018. Soul**

Buffy took advantage of Asher's sudden absence to get caught up.When the summer semester ended, Buffy focused on practicing her kata, perfecting her ice skating and gymnastic routines and scrounging up warrants to execute.A new romance was no reason to get behind.

And every night Asher called Buffy.

Somehow, trying to get decent sex had turned into dating Asher and then a real relationship.Not that Buffy regretted him or anything - he was no Angel! - but she regretted that she would never be able to introduce him to Dawnie or Giles or her mom.Dawnie would have bossed him as ruthlessly as she had bossed first Angel and then Spike.Giles would have interrogated him about all of the history and places and vampire crap that he had seen and done.And Mom would have made him talk art and literature and poetry with her.He would have charmed them and they would have loved him.Asher would have fit right into Buffy's family.

 _But their absences are good in their own ways,_ Buffy reminded herself as she listened to Asher talk. _It means that mom is still dead and properly buried and neither Dawnie nor Giles has fallen through an inter-dimensional vortex lately._

The first time that he had called, Asher had sounded freaked out.This time, he sounded irritable.

"The melodramatic stupidity of... one of my roommates aggrieves me.The room is a mess."

"Dirty clothes everywhere?" Buffy asked sympathetically.

Asher snorted.

"I wish that it was something so banal."He hesitated a moment and then asked, "May I count on your discretion?"

"I'll be its very soul," Buffy promised.

Asher told her a long story, halting in places where he groped for the right word in English or sidetracked to explain some werewolf or wereleopard term or custom.

**_This_ ** _is why I never take executions for were-anythings.They're way too much trouble.And too human._

"So... your roommate initiated a rape-competition because... why did she initiate the rape-hunt?"

"Jealousy?Arrogance?Foolishness?" Asher sighed."Her reasons are unimportant, I suppose, since she seems to have bedded the man that she had her eye on."

"That's... a lot of risk to get a guy.And you're talking to a girl who has done some pretty stupid things to get a guy's attentions."

"May I ask what sort of things?" Asher asked, sounding interested.

Buffy thought a second then told Asher about the Halloween that she had dressed up as a seventeenth-century noblewoman to get a certain man's attention only to be bespelled and nearly eaten by vampires.

Asher laughed until he cried.Buffy, who was more fond of the story in retrospect, thought the story was pretty funny herself.

"After the spell ended, everyone still knew all of the things that their costumes knew.So now I know some music, a lot more math, and how to stitch things which is way more useful than you might think.And I know, like, five languages and two dead languages _cold._ I'm telling you, the only reason I survived high school was because of that spell."

"It is nice to know that there were positive consequences to your experience," Asher said, still laughing."Was the witch ever found and punished?"

"Yeah.Our school librarian figured out what was going on, hunted the guy down, and made him break the spell."

"I do not remember librarians as being so intrepid in my youth."

"Giles is really special," Buffy agreed, missing Giles more in that moment than she had in awhile.

"And who rescued you from the vampires?Or were they bespelled children too?"

"They were real vampires.Vicious groin-kicking may have been a factor in my escape."

Asher laughed.

 

 

**#017. Air**

When Asher had stayed in St. Louis for Jean-Claude and Anita, Jason had assumed that he was going to be a lead in the Triumvirate Drama.And at first Asher had seemed interested.But this week, rather than capitalizing on his opportunity, Asher had been politely uninterested in Anita's lingering touches, Richard's silent challenges, and the drama surrounding the Richard and Anita Show.

Jason envied Asher for having Anita's attention (and not needing it.)He envied Asher for having someone to amuse, comfort, and inspire him to be better than he was.Jason envied Asher's happiness.

He also needed it.

When Asher fished out his cell phone, Jason edged closer.With all of the pain, misery, and general scariness going around, Jason eagerly anticipated those phone calls.Asher sent Jason a wry look and switched to speaking French but stayed where he was.Jason appreciated that.

At first, Asher's voice sounded the way that it always did, emphasizing his anger, frustration, and sadness while leaving his lighter emotions flat.But, as the conversation went on, Asher's voice lightened.Good humor tickled over Jason's skin and amusement shimmied up Jason's spine.The very air around Asher lightened, brightened, and shimmered with his happiness.It was like breathing in happiness.Not even Jean-Claude's voice was that good.

Jason relaxed into Asher's power, sighing happily as he slumped against Asher's side.Asher, who usually avoided being touched, allowed the little intimacy.He even rested his arm across Jason's shoulders.The weight of Asher's arm was warm, soft, and comfortable.The violence and stresses of the last few days seemed like a distant memory as Jason floated in Asher's happiness, listening to the rise and fall of Asher and the woman's voices.

 _I like Asher's mystery woman,_ Jason thought sleepily. _She makes Asher happy._

 

 

**#002. Death**

When Asher called her about the demon, he sounded thoroughly freaked out.Buffy listened patiently, secretly enjoyed the sound of Asher speaking French, and briskly scrubbed her counters.A Slayerly constitution was no reason to live like a slob.As Asher rambled about his night and the demon, mostly about the demon, Buffy idly tried to classify what species of demon had been summoned.

She wondered if it had access to her home dimension.

"You're not at all worried that someone loosed a demon," Asher accused.

"Not really," Buffy admitted."I'm a bit put out that I missed it, though."

"It is not a traveling circus!"

"Asher, it was only a demon."

"Only a demon!"

"Mhmmm," Buffy hummed."Demons are like everything else.They can be killed.You just have to know how."

"I suppose there were a great many demons roaming the streets of Sunnydale."

"Of course there were."

"I dislike the sound of this Sunnydale more and more with every new thing that I know of it.But I've never heard of anyone, save saints, who has killed-" Asher cut himself off.He made an aggrieved noise. _"Have_ you ever killed a demon, Buffy?"

"Of course," Buffy said indulgently."If we add up all of the people that you've slept with and all of the things I've killed and then compared our numbers, I'd come out ahead."

"Buffy!"

"Sorry," Buffy said without an iota of remorse."I know we're pretending that you don't know that I'm a badass executioner and I don't know that you're a somewhat reformed libertine but sometimes it just sort of works itself into the conversation."

Asher sighed."Could you really have killed it?"

"Yes.I can kill _anything."_

"You will never know how comforting I find that."

"Are you being sarcastic?Sometimes it's hard to tell because of your accent.I get so caught up in enjoying it that I sort of lose track of the conversation."

Asher laughed.Buffy smiled at the sound of it.

"I mean it," he promised."I am... not yet at peace with your chosen occupation but I find it comforting to know that you are not relying on my protection."

Buffy smiled."Never.Hey, you mentioned something about a Spear of Destiny earlier.What is it?"

As far as transitions went, smooth it was not.But ever since she had fallen into this world, Buffy had been haunted by random dreams of a spear.Discovering that there actually _was_ a mystical spear only a few states away was too good to be true.

"I did?"

"While you were rambling."

"It is at best a foolish piece of local color and at worst the ruination of several men."

"Tell me anyway."

So Asher did.

"That's it?"

"I told you that it was a ridiculous story."

"Yeah, but... it's sort of a letdown.Never mind.So does the demony lightshow mean that your business is nearly done?"

"I will be home by tomorrow night," he promised."I will have to speak with Jean-Claude when I return but, since Anita will be returning with me, it should not be a long conversation.Will you be available?"

"I'll be waiting with bells on!"

"Bells?"

"I think it's a saying."

"An... intriguing saying.I look forward to it."

"Asher!"

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	6. "I'm happy right here."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#019. Pain**

One night Asher came home to the rich scent of Jean-Claude's aftershave lingering in the sitting room.It was strong enough that Jean-Claude had to have only recently abandoned the room.

Asher breathed deeply but the eau de toilette covered any lingering scent markers.

 _I miss Jean,_ Asher thought as he changed directions, following Jean-Claude's scent trail. _I have not seen much of him since his triumvirate became a ménage a trios in truth._

The trail led to Jean-Claude's bedroom.Asher knocked.

"Yes?"

"Jean, may I come in?"

There was a split-second hesitation before Jean-Claude said, "Yes, my goldfinch.Please, come in."

There was a time when Asher would not have had to ask to enter Jean-Claude's space.Of course, at that time, Jean-Claude's space was Asher's space too.Asher tried not to think about that.

Inside of his bedroom, Jean was sitting in a delicate wooden chair with stark, white upholstery.Jean himself was wearing black silk pajama pants and nothing else.Asher's eyes moved from his friend and one-time lover to the bed on the other side of the room.He frowned to see that Jean's bed was dressed in white bedclothes and a black duvet.The best barometer of Jean's feelings had always been his color choices or the lack thereof.

"Jean-Claude... What has happened?"

"Nothing worth mentioning," he said, waving his hand negligibly."What may I help you with tonight, my goldfinch?"

"Does one friend need a reason to seek out another?"

"Forgive me.You have been very busy since your return from Tennessee.I simply assumed that a visit from you would be more... purposeful."

"No busier than usual," Asher protested, trying to remember how he had spent his time since returning to St. Louis.To the best of his recollection, he had spent most of his time attending to his duties or with Buffy which was no different than his behavior before the trip to rescue Jean-Claude's wolf from himself.The only difference between the present and the past was...

"Forgive me, Jean-Claude, for assuming that you had time tonight.Shall I retire and allow you and Anita to enjoy your time together?"

Jean-Claude's beautiful face was perfectly lovely when he said, "Anita is not here tonight, my friend."

"Ah."For lack of another option, Asher seated himself at the foot of Jean-Claude's bed.He smoothed his hand meaningfully over the black duvet."Has she been here within recent memory, Jean?"

He asked because Asher could not honestly remember if she had or had not come around since their return from Tennessee.Truthfully, Asher had been so happy to be back in St. Louis with Buffy and his own clothes that he had not paid much attention to Jean-Claude's human servant.In retrospect, Asher suspected that Jean-Claude had capitalized on that to successfully avoid him.

"No," Jean-Claude said.his voice was nearly as expressionless as his face."We are cooling off while Anita studies her magics."

Jean-Claude had used Anita's name, rather than his pet name for her.Asher was shocked to find himself ambivalent, rather than excited, at the change.A handful of months ago, he would have leaped at the opportunity to establish a foothold in Jean-Claude's life.A handful of months ago, Asher had not known Buffy Summers.

"Cooling off?Does that mean that you are free to see other people in her absence?"

"No," Jean-Claude said crisply.He frowned at Asher as if daring him to tempt him or contradict his statement."I am still hers alone and she is still mine and Monsieur Zeeman's."

"But you and Monsieur Zeeman are no more than allies to each other," Asher said shrewdly."How are you to feed yourself?"

Jean-Claude was as still and pale as a statue.

"Are you not to feed yourself?" Asher demanded, outraged."Jean!You are master here!You _cannot_ allow yourself to starve!"

"I will be fine.I will take blood and feed from a distance as I always have," Jean-Claude said tiredly."Asher, this is not your concern.As you say, I am master here."

Asher pressed his lips together, holding in the other words that he wished to say to Jean-Claude.

_He is master, not me.And his well-being is no longer my concern._

"Come here, Jean," Asher said softly.

Jean-Claude's head snapped up.His mouth opened and his eyes were very wide.They were framed by only the tiniest rim of blue.

"Asher, I cannot..." he said with longing in every syllable."Anita's displeasure will be dire if she believes that I have been unfaithful to her."

Asher's lips thinned.

"I will do nothing to make you unfaithful," Asher promised."Come to me, Jean."

"You do not even know her boundaries," Jean-Claude protested as he smoothly stood and approached Asher.When the fronts of his knees bumped Asher's own, Asher gently pulled Jean-Claude onto the bed with himself.Jean-Claude went willingly enough.

"You may tell me about them," Asher murmured in Jean-Claude's ear as he arranged them in the center of Jean-Claude's bed.Asher curled himself around Jean-Claude, the planes of his chest to the curves of Jean-Claude's back."I confess, I had not considered having such a conversation with my Buffy."

Jean-Claude laughed bitterly.

"It is a conversation that I wish I had tackled in full before I first seduced Anita.Perhaps things would have been easier between us.Perhaps I would not be where I am now."

Asher ignored the twist of pain and dark humor in his heart because right then the place that Jean-Claude wished to avoid was in Asher's arms.He tightened his arm around Jean-Claude's waist.

"You might still have ended up in the same place," Asher murmured."You never know how things might turn out."

"True enough," Jean-Claude sighed."My goldfinch, I'm so tired."

"Then feed yourself.You'll feel better when your lust is sated."

"I cannot.Anita does not know about that aspect of my nature.And, even if she knew, she would never allow me to feed from her."

"Or from anyone else," Asher murmured darkly.

"Do not sit in judgment of my relationship with Anita until you have successfully navigated a similar conversation with your Mademoiselle Buffy.They are both products of this time and this culture.I guarantee you that your conversation with Mademoiselle Buffy will not go significantly different from mine with Anita."

"We'll see about that."

Jean-Claude laughed.It was as sharp and jagged as broken glass.

"You wished to be loved above all else, my goldfinch.You will deny her nothing as I have denied Anita nothing."

"I am not a puppy to be trained and dictated to," Asher replied, ignoring the quiver of fear in his heart.He did not know what he would do if Buffy proved intractable."I am an equal partner in our relationship.I shall have my say in it the same that she shall have hers."

Jean-Claude snorted."Good luck.This culture produces very difficult women.I say this, not only as the man who is in love with Anita Blake, but as a man who has lived in this country for two hundred years."

"Thank you," Asher said with as much dignity as he could muster."I shall endeavor to remember your assessment."

" Good luck, my goldfinch," Jean-Claude said with dark humor."I wish you well with your Mademoiselle Buffy."

"Even if it means that things shall not be as they once were between us?"

Jean-Claude's hand settled over Asher's hand where it rested on Jean-Claude's chest.

"Especially then," he murmured."Even so, I cannot help but hope that things may work out well for you and I and Anita."

Asher kept silent, keeping secret that he preferred his Buffy to Jean's Anita.It was an academic argument, anyway.

 

 

**#044. Clouds**

Asher awoke the next night, feeling out of sorts.His conversation with Jean the night before had left Asher with an unpleasant taste in his mouth and a knot of tension in his belly.He did not wish to end up as Jean had.He feared it, even.

 _I need to see, to experience, my beloved again,_ Asher thought as he scented the room. _But how?_

Buffy was at a delicate point in her semester and had no time for romantic liaisons.While Asher respected his lover's ambitions, he needed to see her, touch her, and ask her if she intended to make him suffer as Jean-Claude was suffering.

The scents of Jean-Claude, a human and a werewolf lingered in the air.Jean-Claude and the human's scents were old ones.Asher opened his eyes.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, in a pair of brightly colored underwear, sat Jean-Claude's special wolf, Jason.The young man grinned at Asher then joined him.The werewolf's good mood felt like salt against a wound.

After Asher finished eating, when Jason lay boneless and blissful among Jean-Claude's sheets, Asher asked, "What foods are popular among your people's students?"

"What?" murmured the wolf.

"What foods would a young woman in college enjoy?" Asher asked again.

"Pizza," Jason answered, immediately and definitively."Cheese or cheese and pepperoni are always a good bet.They're standard.I like Hawaiian best."

"I shall endeavor to remember that."Asher pressed a friendly kiss to the man's forehead."Thank you."

"Any time."

Asher showered, dressed, and went to acquire the appropriate sustenance.When he knocked on her apartment's door, Buffy answered quickly and silently.She had always moved like a predator and looked like prey but that night, she looked pale and tired.The dark smudges under her eyes looking alarmingly like bruises.

Asher, an extra-large pizza box balanced on one hand and the handles of a plastic bag clutched in the other, stared at Buffy in abject horror.

“Are those clouds?”

Buffy blinked at him, then down at her white tank top and blue pajama shorts.

“They’re sheep.”

“They’re puffy and white.”

Buffy stabbed a finger at one puffy white mass on her hip.

“That one’s smiling,” Buffy protested.

Asher squinted at the indicated cloud suspiciously.It was indeed smiling.However it lacked legs.

“And you let people see you in those?”

“They’re pajama bottoms!Not many people see them!And they’re comfy!”Asher felt a flash of surprise.Buffy took a deep breath.“Mmmm… Anyway, did I forget that we had a date tonight?"

"Non.You just seemed so busy with your exam preparations that I thought I should bring you dinner."

Buffy smiled."Come in!”

Buffy's apartment looked much the same as the last time that Asher had visited it.Nothing obscured the ugly cinderblock walls from view and there were still only a few sticks of beaten up, secondhand furniture.A coffee table with books, papers, and chewed and broken pencils spread all over it sat in the middle of the living room.Buffy hurried over to gather them all into the semblance of a stack while Asher laid out pizza, garlic knots, soda, plastic cups and silverware, and paper plates and napkins.

As he poured her drink for her, Buffy plopped onto the loveseat next to Asher and pulled a slice of pizza onto a paper plate.Buffy eyed the single plastic cup filled with fizzing liquid.

“Where’s yours?”

“I cannot partake of your meal.My body can only digest blood.”

“Oh.Thanks.You really didn’t have to do this.”

Asher felt his mouth twist into a gentle half-smile.“I wanted to."

Buffy, her mouth full of pizza, smiled.To occupy his hands, Asher tidied her hasty pile of school-related paraphernalia.One practice problem snatched his attention.

“Your answer to number three is incorrect.”

Buffy swallowed and scooted closer.“So what’d I do wrong?”

Asher blinked down at her then refocused his attention on her work.Slowly, carefully, occasionally groping for the right words in English, Asher explained her mistake.It was a much more satisfying use of his time than a confrontation that might end with both of them in tears.

 

 

**#061. Planet**

"I was wondering if you would mind very much were we to include Jean-Claude in some of our activities?" Asher asked.Buffy was in his arms and snuggled close as they were flying to the circus.There was no way that either of them, him if he was being entirely honest with himself, could escape the conversation once it was started.Not without Buffy falling to her death, at any rate."Not for long.Just the foreseeable future, really.I don't want - He shouldn't be alone."

Asher winced. _Eloquent and erudite that was not._

"Bad break up with The Executioner?" asked Buffy.Her tone was surprisingly sympathetic.

"What makes you think that?" Asher asked, perhaps more sharply than he intended.

Buffy shrugged.

"They aren't in the society or gossip columns anymore," she said, startling a laugh out of Asher.

"I believe that they are 'cooling off' right now," he replied, bracketing the slang terms with his tone of voice."Anita is his human servant so breaking up would be difficult... and dangerous.But Jean is taking their separation very hard."

"He should," Buffy said."That's like a pre-breakup."

"Really?" Asher asked, suddenly nervous for his friend (and one-time lover.)

Buffy nodded decisively."For sure.So long as he doesn't do any mind or behavior altering spells, I'm fine with him coming along in a non-third-wheel capacity."

Asher parsed that in his head before asking, "Do I wish to know?"

"Probably not.No one from my high school took being turned down or broken up with very well."

"You would think that after the first trial and execution that there would be a significant decrease in the instances of magical abuse in your town."

"Oh, there weren't trials or executions," Buffy said, looking surprised at the very idea of it."Dawnie, Tara, and I'd _literally_ be the only humans left alive in town."

"Tara?"

"The only witch I've ever met who never abused her mystical magical mojo.She's also the nicest person that I've ever met in any world.Ever."

"Perhaps the two are not unrelated," Asher suggested."You have mentioned quite a few adventures regarding your hometown.Did no one contact the police after the fact?"

"Well.... yeah, especially if they found dead bodies.But my hometown's a weird place.Most people prefer not to notice when things go horribly wrong."Buffy thought a moment.Dark amusement threaded through her voice when she added, "Well, except for the time the adults held these hysterical fake witch trials and started burning books and suspected witches at the stake."

Asher's arms tightened around her.Fear, irrational, pervasive and burning, bubbled up inside of him. It coursed along his scars, through his heart and up his throat.It tasted of old blood.No matter that Buffy was no witch, was nearly pathologically adverse to magic in fact, Asher was terrified for her wellbeing at the mere mention of witch burnings.The fact that she was safe with him, had lived through her town's witch burning phase, meant nothing to Asher's poor, terrified heart.

"I did not think such things happened in these modern times," he said tightly.

"It depends on where you are?" Buffy's tone turned it into a question rather than a statement.

"I am glad that you were not accused," Asher said with utter sincerity."Or burned."

"But I was."Her arms, looped around his neck, tightened.As Asher did not need to breathe, he was not overly concerned."The adults were going to burn Willow and Amy for being witches.They had them tied to stakes and everything.And I tried to stop them.My mom was the one leading the charge, so to speak.I thought she would listen to me but I ended up right next to Willow and Amy.They had already lit the fires when Giles and Oz and Xander rescued us."

Asher wobbled so spectacularly that it was luck more than anything else that landed them safely in a tree rather than flat against the side of a building.He clutched Buffy to him tightly - too tightly for any human to endure - and tried to stop shaking.

Buffy hugged him just as tightly.She was silent.

"You are never, ever going home," Asher said.Even to his own ears, his voice was low and dangerous.His power thrummed through it.

"I'll go home if I want to," Buffy said sharply.

Asher found that he _could_ hold onto Buffy tight enough to make her squeak.

_"To be burned alive?"_

"It was a one-time thing!"

"It could happen again!"

"My sister and my friends are there!"

"Bring Dawn here," Asher demanded, desperate."Bring them all here.I will find or make jobs for them at the Circus and-"

"You can't rearrange everyone's lives to suit _you!"_

Asher, enraged by the absolute, unmitigated _gall_ of this nation of peasants, deliberately misbalanced and tumbled out of the tree.Buffy yelped, her arms tightening around his neck, and then Asher landed on his feet at the tree's base.

He set Buffy down and then took off again, too furious to say a single word to her.

 

 

**#094. Portal**

Buffy was _furious_ with that selfish, self-centered, egotistical, demanding, jerk-faced _vampire!_

"I'm _so_ going to kick his ass up one side of the circus and down the other!" she snarled as she stormed down the sidewalk.Asher had crash landed her in the middle of a business district.It was dark, mostly empty, and even the cabs seemed to have given the area up as closed until tomorrow.

In the mood that she was in, Buffy _hoped_ that someone would try to mug her.Let them just try it!No one, it seemed, was feeling that brave (or suicidal) so Buffy had to walk four blocks without the benefit of kicking anyone in the face.That left her new shoes intact but her mood poor.After four blocks, Buffy was finally in an area with other people and, more importantly, _cabs._

She tipped the driver especially generously for putting up with her bad mood.

"Bad date?" he asked as he tucked his gratuity away.

"The worst," Buffy grunted as she levered herself out."Thanks."

"Thank _you,"_ he called as she slammed the door shut.

And then, because he was probably a very nice man, he waited for Buffy to stalk into her building before he left.

As soon as she entered her apartment, Buffy began stripping down.She was naked by the time she reached her bedroom and in her workout clothes sixty seconds later.

Buffy's apartment was technically a two-bedroom apartment.She used one room as a home gym.The equipment, the mats, and the racks were all expensive as hell and worth every penny.Buffy worked out until her muscles were pleasantly loose, her body was tired, and her temper was sated.

It was an effort to drag herself into the shower.

Asher was sitting on the edge of her bed when she exited her bathroom wrapped in a pink towel with a heavy white towel wrapped around her head.

"At least promise me that you won't go home without me."

"Asher, it was a one time thing.And I can take care of myself."

_"Please."_

Buffy sighed.

"Asher, if I ever go home, I won't have much say in it.It'll be more like a magical kidnapping than anything else."

"You... do not wish to return?"

"I _can't_ return.Not on my own, at any rate."Buffy hesitated for a moment but, if she was in for a penny then she was in for a pound.She joined Asher on the bed, sitting next to him.He watched her carefully."In my world, things are very different.When our world began, it was not a paradise but a playground for demons and Old Ones.It was a hell dimension and humanity just wasn't going to survive it.From among humanity came the Slayers.We alone possess the strength and skill to hunt the vampires and demons and whatever the hell else bumps in the night.It's our duty to stand against the darkness and protect humanity but the price for that strength is our very lives.Most Slayers live less than a year after being called as Slayers.

"I had been a slayer for nearly six years when a demon so powerful that she was worshipped in hell dimensions as a hell goddess was punted into my dimension.Apparently, even demons can only take so much cruelty.Anyway, we fought.I killed her little scabby army and kicked her ass.But she'd already opened a dimensional portal that would bleed the worlds together and collapse _everything._ All of reality was in danger so I, uh, jumped into the open portal.Also, into a hell dimension, coincidentally enough.But somehow I ended up here instead of a hell so that was good."

"Were you attempting suicide?" Asher asked.His voice was too level and too distant to be anything good.

"No."Buffy paused a moment, thinking carefully, and then said, "Glory had used my little sister's blood to open the portal.The only way to close it was with Dawnie's death.I could never, ever kill Dawnie and Glory was banking on that.But what she didn't know was that Dawnie was made from me.She's my sister and my twin and my daughter in every sense of those words.I could never kill Dawnie, not even to fulfill my duty, but..."

"You could kill yourself," Asher whispered.His hand seized hers.If Buffy were human, it would have been crushing instead of merely tight."You tried to kill yourself!"

 _"Not_ because I wanted to die," Buffy stressed."But Dawnie's blood was my blood and her life came from mine.To close the portal I had to sacrifice the one who opened it and killing Dawnie was never an option, not even to save _everything,_ so I... took her place."

"Buffy!You cannot let yourself die!"

"There's no Dawnie in this world," Buffy said as gently as she could."Who would I die for?"

“You are not allowed to die!” He snarled.“You are not allowed to leave me behind again.”

“Again?I’m not Julianna!”

"I am well aware of that," he snapped."But if you leave this world, I will not permit myself to be abandoned in it again.If you die, Buffy Anne Summers, I will not outlive you by long."

“Asher... Asher don’t say stupid things.I’m human.Even if I wasn’t a Slayer I still wouldn’t live nearly long enough.You could live forever.”

He laughed.It was the ugliest sound he had ever made.

Buffy flinched.

“Live forever?Like this?Even if I were still whole and beautiful, I wouldn’t want to live forever like this!No Julianna, no Jean-Claude, and no Buffy!Plenty of potential bedmates but no one to love and be loved by!No, Buffy.If ever you consider killing yourself for the good of all again, know that you will kill me for the good of all, too."

"That's not fair!"

"No," Asher agreed."It's not.But I _won't_ outlive you.The mere thought of it is unbearable.Wherever you go, I will follow you."

Buffy's emotions were too churned and mixed for her to pick one out as something that she could hold up and say 'I feel this way.'

"Asher, I don't..."

"There is nothing more to say.You are a demon slayer from another world who has lived past her projected death.I am a man who loves you and refuses to outlive you.You will simply have to live for awhile longer."

"This can't be healthy."

"It's probably not."

"We're going to therapy.I know a wonderful therapist.I talked to him for awhile after I started getting my life here in order."

"Anything you want," Asher said agreeably as he rearranged them on the bed.

Buffy was a bit disappointed when he bundled her under the comforter rather than getting naked and making up with her the best way possible.But only a tiny bit disappointed because he stayed with her, laying on top of the comforter and arranging himself against her.His arm was around her and Buffy marveled, yet again, at how warm these vampires got after eating a (relatively) small amount of blood.

It was silent between them.Buffy thought about broody vampire boyfriends and all of the makeup sex that she was not having.It was probably for the best, anyway.Somewhere along the line, this relationship had taken a turn for the weird.

_Maybe I just have that effect on men?_

It seemed a bit arrogant to attribute all of her lovers' failings to herself.It seemed more likely that she had a tendency to pick slightly crazy men and make them crazier but Riley had not been the only normal guy she had ever dated (and accidentally broken.)

After a time, Asher began to talk.His voice was low and stark as he told her about Julianna.He started with little things - the way her hair curled when it rained, how soft and generous her form was, the way that she liked to be read to.And then he told her of wooing Julianna, of his joy in winning her, of binding her to him for all eternity only to have her burned at the stake a mere three hundred and thirty-seven years later.

Buffy's heart ached for his loss.Even now, with his eyes unfocused in remembrance, Asher was too pale and his hands clung to her too tightly.She pushed down the urged to kick a bunch of dead people into submission.

And then, perhaps because he had already started, Asher told her about the deal that Jean-Claude had made to save his life, forcing him to live when he wanted to follow Julianna into death.He described the man that he had been after Julianna's death with unflinching honesty: bitter, cruel, unforgiving, furious, hurt, ashamed.He had lashed out at Jean-Claude and mourned Julianna nearly as long as he had been with her.

"Three hundred years is a really long time to hate someone for being your friend and saving your life."

"If I forgave him, I would have only myself to blame," he whispered, his arms tightening around her.

"There's no one to blame," Buffy said, as gently as she could."What happened to Julianna wasn't anyone's _fault._ Sometimes terrible things just happen.But I'm glad that you've forgiven him.And I'm glad that you're trying to look after him now."

"You have... a most generous spirit."

"I can afford to," Buffy said, thinking that she would have reacted differently if they were in Sunnydale. The evening had brought her past closer to the surface. "I'm here."

In Sunnydale, there was always something to fight or stress out about.There, Buffy had been too busy not dying, looking after Dawn, solving the Scoobies' problems, and averting apocalypses to have much sympathy to spare for anyone else's angst, even a boyfriend's.Being trapped in this world had allowed her to decompress.Buffy not only had the time but also the emotional resources to give a damn about other people.

Asher made a small noise of wordless agreement, probably taking another meaning from her words.

"I am sorry that we missed our date, mon couer."

"Don't worry about it.I'm happy right here."

 

 

**#055. Heaven**

Asher truly meant to tell Buffy the truth, that Jean-Claude had been more than his and Julianna's traveling companion and dearest friend in the world, but the words eluded him.That was hardly surprising.Asher had been meaning to tell Buffy for months that they had to stop doing whatever they were doing together.He was too badly damaged to be anyone's lover again.

"You're a good friend, Asher," Buffy said as she straightened her clothes and hair.Asher, who was doing something similar, flinched.

 _A good friend, perhaps. Sometimes,_ Asher thought. _But I am a selfish, cowardly man._

He kept that to himself.If he never mentioned how unfit he was to be her lover, Buffy might never notice.

 _Well, not until it's unavoidable at any rate,_ Asher thought bitterly. _I can't expect lovely, shining Buffy to be more understanding than Anita of my... peculiarities or my relationship with Jean-Claude.They were both produced in the same times, country, and culture, after all.But I won't miss a moment of her until then._

"How do I look?" Buffy asked, turning to face Asher.

"Delectable."

Buffy smiled brightly.

"You look pretty tasty yourself," Buffy said, her eyes raking over Asher in a way that made him feel both flattered and alarmed.He no longer had it within him to live up to such expectations."Let's go kidnap the Master of the City!"

"Where are we going?"

"To the mall, of course!"

Asher grinned.

"Of course.Jean will love that.," he assured her, despite knowing very well that Jean-Claude would loathe Buffy's mall with a fiery, unending passion.

At first, Jean-Claude was recalcitrant.But then, Asher had been too when he was first confronted with the reality of Buffy.Eventually, Jean realized what Asher had already learned - that Buffy had no problem hustling him out of any given room and into the nearest mall - and struck a deal with Buffy.In exchange for an immediate end to 'mall trawling,' Jean-Claude would come peacefully to one or two activities per week.

Buffy was gloriously smug in her victory.

"I did not imagine that you would concede so much," Asher said later to Jean-Claude."I'm glad that you are so relaxed."

"Perhaps you should send a letter of thanks to the new vampire executioner in town," Jean-Claude replied.He smiled faintly."Care of the police station, unfortunately.This new hunter, while brutally efficient in his duties, does not enjoy the limelight the way _ma petite_ does.He has invoked the shield laws and goes only by his title."

"Oh?What is it?"

"The Slayer."Jean-Claude's smirked."A fearsome name for a fearsome bringer of law.Nevertheless, I am grateful for the reprieve from old world challengers while ma petite is away finding herself.And when she returns, I shall be most grateful for ma petite's increase in free time."

"Indeed."

"My only true concerns at the moment are Gretchen and Damien."Jean-Claude frowned."I must take her out of her coffin soon and make what reparations I can for her treatment.And I must consider putting Damien into one."

"Damien?What has he done?"

"Nothing yet but, thanks to ma petite's powers, he is no longer blood bound to me nor can the bond be recreated.He is bound to ma petite who, apparently, has seen fit to cut him off from herself."

"Cut him off?Why is he not dead?"

Jean-Claude shrugged.

"Who can tell?Perhaps ma petite added to his powerbase before she walled herself off from her bonds and obligations?"

"Then he should be fine."

"Physically, he is well.But his temper is worse."

Asher frowned."What will you do?"

"I have taken him off of the floor at Dance Macabre and given him an office position.Hopefully, the decrease in exposure to everyone will help him find his equilibrium."

"I shall keep an eye on him," Asher promised.

Jean-Claude nodded and turned the conversation to other topics.

Their first outing was to an art exhibit's opening.When Jean-Claude expressed surprise and pleasure in her choice, Buffy shrugged and said, "My mother owned a gallery.I've been to a million of them.They're fun."

And Asher took her hand and gave it a little squeeze because, while he did not know all of the details, he knew enough to know that her mother was dead and very much missed.

The next time, Asher took them dancing.Watching Jean-Claude and Buffy dance together like two halves of a whole was nearly as lovely as dancing with them.When they stumbled out of the club near dawn, Buffy was sweetly tired and Jean-Claude was radiantly energetic from the free-floating lust circulating among the club's human dancers.

Against Asher's recommendations, Jean-Claude took them to a visiting ballet troop's performance of the Nutcracker.Asher learned that Buffy's disdain of opera did not extend to ballet.Something about watching the dancers' energetic physical feats held her attention in a way that the glorious melodies of opera could not.Jean-Claude was unreasonably self-satisfied regarding the success of his choice.

Buffy dragged them roller skating and Asher took Jean-Claude and Buffy ice skating.Then it was Jean-Claude's turn again and he took Asher and Buffy out to dinner of all things.

"Your food fetish is showing," Asher told Jean-Claude while Buffy was in the ladies' room."You're enjoying this nearly as much as Buffy is and you can't even taste Buffy's meal through her."

"Can you?" Jean-Claude asked, the look in his eyes sharp.

"Of course not."

"Forgive me, Asher. I was merely curious," Jean-Claude said as he signaled to their waiter.

Asher snorted.

"You're never _merely curious,"_ he accused good naturedly."You're plotting."

"But of course!" Jean-Claude said gaily then added a bright purple mixed drink, sushi, ice cream, a slice of carrot cake, and a birthday song to Buffy's order.

When Buffy got back to the table, she stared at the additional beverage and the plate of sushi.

"I didn't order this," she said as Asher helped her with her seat."There's been a mistake."

"The sushi was complimentary," Jean-Claude said guilelessly.Buffy chose a salmon and avocado roll. Asher bit the inside of his cheek."And the drink is a fetching color.Do you like them, Mademoiselle Buffy?"

"I love them!" Buffy said as she chose another colorful piece of sushi."The sushi is so... buttery."She sipped her purple drink."And this stuff tastes like raspberries.It's really good!"

Jean-Claude sighed happily."Tell me more?"

Asher smiled, happy to listen to Jean-Claude and Buffy discuss food.Watching his two most beloved people be happy, especially with each other, made Asher happy.In his opinion, paradise was having his loved ones all together and happy, in themselves and with each other.

To Jean-Claude's delight, Buffy finished everything, including the ice cream and two pieces of cake (death by chocolate and carrot cake) as Buffy's desert.(She had blinked at the singing wait staff and thanked them for their well wishes.When they departed again, Buffy pointedly told Asher that she expected something on her actual birthday, too.)

"I have a very fast metabolism," Buffy admitted."I love food!"

The gleam in Jean-Claude's eyes was positively gleeful."I'll remember that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	7. "No, that was some sort of psychotic break."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#103. Thanksgiving**

Buffy had planned to have her real Thanksgiving with (a now retired) Pete Cannon and his family and something small and relaxed with Asher.Instead, Buffy had her relaxing Thanksgiving with Pete's family and had the stressful one at her apartment.

It started when Buffy called Asher with the dates for their Thanksgiving. She was on the team bus, riding home from a competition in Iowa.It was dark and quiet. Most of the girls were either sleeping or watching the cheesy eighties style movie on the televisions.

(The movie was basically _Pretty in Pink_ with vampires. It grated on Buffy's last nerve.Despite or perhaps because of her own romantic history, Buffy strongly believed that anything so predatory and conniving as vampires had no business near moody, melodramatic teenagers.Watching it was like watching a propaganda film encouraging the happy meals to run toward their deaths.)

So instead of watching a movie that was guaranteed to drive her blood pressure up, Buffy called Asher and quietly chatted with him on the way home. When Buffy invited Asher over, someone in the background cheerfully shouted, "Can I come too?"

Asher made an aggrieved noise.

Buffy listened with amusement as he bickered with the unknown man. When the stranger whined, "You don't eat. You don't even have any _concept_ of Thanksgiving! Why should you get to have one while I'm stuck with takeout from _Chicago Market?"_

That struck a chord in Buffy. Impulsively, she said, "Invite your friend over. I can't eat an entire turkey by myself."

The other man must have had superhuman hearing because he immediately began whooping and cheering. There was a beat of silence from Asher.

"Are you certain?" Asher asked carefully. "Monsieur Jason can be... tiring."

"Hey! I am _not!"_ Jason squawked. "I'm _entertaining!"_

"He can be my kitchen bitch," Buffy said comfortably. "I'm going to need someone to peel and chop and do boring crap."

"Of course," Asher said. Buffy could hear the smile in his voice.

The next afternoon, Buffy got a call from Asher's cell phone.

"Hello?" she asked, bemused. It was too early for Asher to be awake.

"Hi! You don't know me but I'm Jason," said a masculine voice. "We're, er, having Thanksgiving together?"

"Sure! Hi!" Buffy propped the telephone between her ear and her shoulder. "What's up?"

"Were you serious? About inviting me over, I mean."

"Sure. It's not weird or anything to eat in front of Asher but it's always more fun to have someone to share a meal with."

"Great!" he sounded genuinely relieved. "Hey, er, would you mind if I invited a friend along? Otherwise, he'll be eating Chinese.We'd bring stuff so dinner won't be any more expensive for you."

"Sure! The more the merrier!"

And, aside from making a list of supplies and buying stuff at the grocery store, that was the last that Buffy thought about her Thanksgiving with Asher, Jason, and Jason's friend. She went to an early Thanksgiving dinner with Pete Cannon's family, played with his grandkids and great grandkids, and went home relaxed.

She found a stranger sitting in front of her apartment's door.He was wearing a familiar face.Buffy's hand immediately went to Mr. Pointy.She nearly stabbed the younger version of Ben on general principle.

But a Slayer, especially a Slayer on her own, had to know when to pick her moments.His moment would come for him... and had already come for her.Someday, they would be at the same place in their personal timelines again.And, when that happened, Buffy might finish the job and kill him just on general principle.

It was still difficult to force herself to unclench her hand from around Mr. Pointy's shaft.

"You need a code to get into the building," Buffy said dryly as she fished her keys out of her purse, making sure to keep an eye on the guy as he stood. He was slim and taller than Buffy. Hell, even braided his _hair_ was longer than Buffy. His eyes were a nice color but the look in them was scary. This guy was broken.

"I said I was selling magazines," he said. He fidgeted a moment and then held out a can of cranberry sauce. "I thought, maybe, I could help you make dinner?"

"Uh, sure," Buffy said. She gingerly took the can. "But the dinner is tomorrow night, Jason's friend. Uh, you _are_ Jason's friend, right?"

"Yes," he said and smiled. It was a pretty smile. "I'm Nathaniel."

"Buffy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Buffy sincerely doubted that, mostly because she doubted that this man used the same definition for the word that she did. Nevertheless, she summoned her brightest Head Cheerleader smile and made the necessary small talk until Jason's friend was thoroughly convinced to go away and not come back until bright and early the next day.

Buffy sincerely hoped an insanely angry vengeance demon attacked tomorrow.It was probably terrible of her but she had the feeling that talking to Nathaniel was going to be an exercise in slow torture.When she called Asher later, she shared that thought.He laughed.

"I should let you go early," he said, "that you may be well rested to deal with your guests."

They got off of the phone earlier than usual but not nearly early enough.

The next morning, Buffy awoke to someone pounding on her door and the vague thought that the vengeance demons had finally come for her.She grabbed an ax from the weapons chest in her living room on her staggering lurch to the front door.When she slammed it open, Nathaniel smiled at her.The blond man standing next to him paled.

"Too early?" the blond werewolf asked.He hitched the bag of groceries in his arms higher."We can come back later if you want."

"Hello Buffy," said the broken wereleopard, who would one day serve as the human vessel of a hell goddess. He was nauseatingly cheerful despite the early hour.Clearly, his evilness went deeper than Buffy had originally suspected."We're here to cook."

Buffy snarled at them in wordless disappointment and staggered back inside, leaving the door open in her wake.The two men noisily shuffled into her den, slamming the front door in their wake, while Buffy and her ax stumbled back to bed.She slept for what felt like another few hours until she was properly awakened at a more reasonable hour by the smell of baking bread.Buffy slipped out of bed, leaving her ax behind, and went to investigate.

There was a lanky man _(wereleopard)_ with blue hair sitting with the blond man _(werewolf)_ on her couch.They were eating cookies and watching cartoons.A blond woman _(wereleopard)_ was kneading something on her kitchen counter, while Nathaniel _(wereleopard)_ used a spatula to shift cookies from the pan to a cooling rack.Buffy had never in her life owned a cooling rack.

"What's going on?"

"We couldn't find your kitchen equipment," Nathaniel said."We got Cherry and Zane to bring mine."

"And... I slept through this?"

"You glared and went back to bed," the blond man reported and Buffy recognized his voice. _Jason._ "Twice.Do you always sleep with an ax?"

"Only when I think that there might be home invaders," Buffy admitted."So... This is our Thanksgiving crew, then?"

It seemed ungrateful to throw Cherry and Zane out.They had brought kitchen equipment.And Cherry was making something that required kneading.

"Nathaniel!"Cherry rounded on the long-haired wonder.She sounded dismayed."You said that she invited the entire pard to have a late Thanksgiving with her!"

Nathaniel shrugged.He looked entirely unworried.

Buffy groaned because, thanks to Asher, she actually had an idea of what a _pard_ was.And why Nathaniel's name had sounded familiar.He was the idiot who visited places where he wasn't wanted and let anonymous one night stands tie him up.Even Xander had better survival instincts than that and Xander had once fallen desperately in lust with a giant virgin-eating praying mantis woman.

"I'm so sorry," Jason said.He actually looked somewhat concerned which struck Buffy as odd since he had invited himself over too.And Nathaniel."I didn't know.We can all clear out and-"

"It's fine," Buffy said.She was already starting to feel tired."There are only, what, about ten or twelve of you, right?The more the merrier."

Smiling, Nathaniel said, "We already dressed the turkey and put it in the oven."

Buffy wondered how often Nathaniel touched base with reality.Then she decided that maybe it was better not to know.The answer could be too depressing to bear.

A little family unit, a pair of twins and a dark-haired girl, came next.They were all carrying bags of groceries and had a slab of salty goodness named Richard in tow.Richard, who registered as a werewolf on the back of Buffy's neck, jangled his keys and looked bemused.

"Our car wouldn't start," said one of the twins _(wereleopard)_ in passing."Stephan called Richard for a ride."

"Feel free to stay," Buffy told Richard.She was showered, dressed, and mercilessly dicing vegetables."Can you peel more potatoes for the mashed potatoes?"

Richard's bemusement turned to surprise.Jason, who was peeling carrots, sniggered.Most of the wereleopards, and the werewolf twin, looked horrified.

"Sure," Richard finally said.

"I thought you'd be needed at home," Jason said companionably as he made room for Richard at his counter.Cherry and Zane had possibly brought over all of Nathaniel's cooking crap because Buffy had only owned one peeling thing and there seemed to be four or five on the counter.

"We're having it tomorrow," Richard said."One of my brothers is going to his girlfriend's for Thanksgiving today."

"Ah."

A pair of men knocked on the door shortly after that.One had dark-brown eyes, cornrows, and a penchant for white.The other had short, carefully styled black hair, flat black eyes, and a penchant for three piece suits.They were both werewolves.Worse, they came empty-handed.

Buffy let them both in anyway.

"You weren't at home," said the first one.When he tried to settle onto the couch, Buffy shoved a mixing bowl in his hands.

"You're making the box cake," she informed him.He tilted his head to the side, the beads in his cornrows clicking together, and studied her.Buffy, her hands on her hips, leveled a deeply unimpressed look at him.Werewolf or no, if she had to make food for strangers than so did everyone else.

The werewolf hauled his lazy butt off of the couch and into the kitchen.

His partner, perhaps sensing what was to come, had already removed the outer layers of his suit.When he volunteered to make pork dumplings, Buffy decided that she liked him.

A blonde woman _(wereleopard)_ in leathers knocked on Buffy's door next.She was carrying a can of corn and a white tablecloth and had a sour, hungry expression that reminded Buffy of Faith.By then, Buffy's little apartment was more than a little crowded but Buffy let her in, anyway.

"Elizabeth, right?"

The woman cut her eyes at Buffy and said tightly, "Yes."She looked at Buffy like Buffy was supposed to make something of it.

"I was named for my Aunt Elizabeth," Buffy offered.She wondered what was with all of these touchy people."I'm Buffy."

Elizabeth nodded and seemed to relax.The sourness left her expression but the hunger remained.Her sleek boots joined the pile of sneakers and dress shoes next to the front door.

When Asher and Jean-Claude arrived bearing a long table with chairs stacked neatly along its surface, Buffy was happy to see them.

"I was just beginning to wonder where we were all going to sit."She narrowed her eyes at Asher."Did you have something to do with all of this?"

"No," he said.Jean-Claude watched them with open interest."Jason called and left a message for me."

"Good thing," Buffy said and moved out of their way.She pressed a kiss against Asher's cheek in passing.

They had to rearrange Buffy's furniture to make room for the table and chairs.Most of it ended up in Buffy's bedroom.They laid Elizabeth's tablecloth and a veritable feast of foods out on the table.And there were more dishes in the kitchen.

When Buffy finally sat down to the table, she looked down its length at the assorted were-creatures and vampires.Oddly, it reminded her of Thanksgivings with Giles and the Scoobies.It probably had something to do with having to use frozen peas both times.Or maybe not.

Buffy smiled at her (mostly uninvited) guests.

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone."

 

 

**#003. Love**

Jason was the last to leave, mostly because he insisted on helping to clean everything up and partially because Richard refused to leave while Jean-Claude was still in Buffy's apartment.

"C'mon, Asher," Jason said from where he was standing in Buffy's doorway."I'll give you a ride."

"That's my line," Buffy said cheerfully as she hustled Jason out the door with a smile and a firm grip on his elbow."I'll see you later, maybe at Christmas.Bye!"

She closed the door on Jason and his gaping expression.

“I could leave with Jason.You probably need to relax after your long day,” Asher nervously offered as Buffy advanced on him."Take a bath.Read a book."

"Or I could relax with you," Buffy said before she kissed him.The kiss itself was lovely but Asher was too worried to properly enjoy it.

"Buffy... I _can't_... I’m not ready to be so intimate.”

Buffy’s expression softened. "I’m not trying to pressure you for anything."

"But you intimated to Jason that there would be sexual intercourse," Asher insisted, hating that he needed the comfort of a promise.

"What do you call what we've been doing?"

"Sex," Asher admitted."But Anita said that Americans-"

"And when did we elect her to speak for us all, huh?"

Asher grinned.He was still grinning when Buffy stood up on her tiptoes and he leaned down.The next little bit got lost in a haze of heat and comfort and connection and Asher had everything that he had been missing safely in his arms, cuddled against his chest, and kissing his mouth as if he were precious to her.Despite all of his good feelings, Asher still noticed when she began undoing his shirt's buttons.

"Buffy... What are you doing?"

"Bath time," she mumbled against his lips as she undid another button."With bubbles.And smoochies."

Asher ached with indecision, longing and terror twisting together into a nauseating slurry.

_What if she sees what Belle saw?What Jean-Claude saw?What if–_

She pushed Asher’s open shirt over his shoulders.Asher let her slowly peel the shirt off like he was a snake and she was removing a layer of his skin.He shivered, uncomfortable with being so exposed.

“You don't understand.”

“I know the scars go all the way down.”

Asher stared at her, bewilderment and horror vying for dominance.Buffy arched her eyebrows but flushed charmingly.

“You’ve been letting me molest you for ages.And despite your best efforts, you’ve let me get you off a few times.I’m not an idiot.What I don’t understand is why you think it matters to me.”

Asher laughed bitterly.

“They are hardly a few little scars, Buffy.It’s the entire right half of my body.And they have _always_ mattered.You are young and beautiful and the first to truly wish to touch me since _this,”_ Buffy winced as he yanked at the scarred flesh on his face, distorting his visage and drawing blood, “happened.”

"Then you're hanging out with the wrong people," Buffy said as she gently laid her hands over his hips.Asher startled and tensed even more if that was possible."Let me see."

“No!”Asher barked, his hand falling to her wrist.He jerked against her hands, trying to pull away but held in place by the hands around his hips."Please.Don’t ask me for this."

"Why not?Wouldn’t you want me if I got hurt and scarred up?”

“Yes!”Asher shook his head, distraught.“I would _always_ want you.”

“Then why can’t I always want you?”

"It’s not the same!You make me be here, in this time and place and body.And now, I live in every moment for you.And I love you and you love me too.And you're trying to take all of that away!”

“I’m _not_ trying to take anything away!”

“Yes you are!You’re trying to _see!”_

Buffy stared up at him, her hands going slack for a moment.Asher wrenched away from her.

“I’m broken, Buffy.I’m twisted and damaged and ugly.” Asher said with hateful intensity.“I’m not even a man.But I was your man.”

Buffy stared up at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes horrified, as she whispered, “Asher... Asher, _don’t.”_

“Do it, Asher.Don’t, Asher,” Asher snarled as he wrenched at his trouser fastenings.“I want you, Asher.I don’t want you, Asher.You could have asked me for anything and it would have been yours.But you asked for this.Enjoy it.”

Even as he hatefully yanked his trousers and boxers over his hips and thighs and violently kicked them off, Asher was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to run away shouting, ‘Don’t look!Please!’

But it was too late.Buffy had already seen _everything._

He was exposed.

Asher squeezed his eyes shut.

He loved her loved her _loved her_ and he was going to _lose her_ and it hurt and why was she not screaming and hitting him and crying and calling him monster?Where was her horror over touching something like him?

Manicured fingertips reached out to gently trace the angle of his hip then slid down and inward following the path of one of the meandering scars.It slid upward again and Buffy's warm hands settled on the angles of Asher's hips.She held him tightly.

“I want you Asher.All of you.Not just the bits you can’t avoid showing me.”When Asher opened his eyes, the way Buffy was looking up at him reminded him of the way a pretty dark-haired girl had looked at him once upon a time.It reminded him of the way Jean had once looked upon him (and still looked at him when Anita was not looking.)Asher caught his breath.“Can’t you trust me just a little?”

“I’m naked in front of you,” Asher hissed, his head beginning to swim.“That’s trust.”

“No, that was some sort of psychotic break.”

Dizzy, Asher laughed.It was wild and maybe a bit unhinged.

Buffy's hands, still curled around his hips, gently led Asher through her apartment and into her bathroom.They urged Asher into her tub.

He clumsily sat down on the slick porcelain, feeling naked, awkward, and ugly.Asher bent his knees and pressed them together, angling them to hide his humiliation.He watched Buffy as she adjusted the water's temperature and casually stripped in front of him.

Asher waited for her horror and pity and cruelty.He waited to be alone, unloved, and a monster again.

Instead, she joined him.

 

 

**#016 Water**

Buffy washed him with scented body wash and a loofah.Her hands were gentle, the soapy strokes of her loofah were long, and she took her time, neither hurrying to get it over with or slowing down to put any of it off.Then she rinsed him off, also with the loofah, running her hands all over him.Gentle caresses that soothed him, comforted him, and got rid of the soap.

Then Buffy dug her fingers into his hair, rubbing first shampoo and then conditioner against his scalp.Slowly, incrementally, Asher relaxed into her hands and the soft slap of little waves against the sides of the tub, tilting his head to her best advantage.It felt so good and he was so, so tired of hiding and being angry and afraid.

When she finished, Asher opened his eyes and took the loofah from where it presided over the soap dish.He hefted it and asked, "May I?"

Buffy smiled prettily up at him."Yes, please."

Asher tenderly washed her then shampooed and conditioned her hair.Afterwards, she turned her back to him and relaxed against his chest.His arms settled around her.

When the bathwater got cold, they dried each other off with her brightly colored towels.He enjoyed drying Buffy and he enjoyed it when she dried his face, upper body and lower legs. When she got too close to his groin, however, Asher snatched the towel away from her.Refusing to look at Buffy, he knotted it around his waist.

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence, the soft bang of a cabinet door, and then Buffy said, "Bend over.I can't reach your hair."

His heart lightening, Asher did as she said.

Afterwards, he took her hand, his larger fingers threading themselves between her smaller ones.

When she led him to her bed, Asher whispered, “Buffy I _can’t,_ ” as he followed her into her bed and stretched out beside her, nearly naked.He trembled and clung to the hand that held his while she curled up against him.Slowly, as Asher realized that nothing more was expected of him, his body unclenched.

As Buffy drifted off to sleep, Asher relaxed.

 

 

**#035 Turkeys**

Jason pounded on the flimsy apartment door until he heard the sounds of someone fumbling with the locks.When Buffy wrenched the door open, she was wearing a tank top, pajama pants, and a murderous expression.Jason shivered and took a step back.

_Idiot!You're a big bad werewolf and she's a tiny little woman with a really scary scowl... and an ax.A sharp one._

“What?” she snarled.

Jason edged backwards another step.It allowed him the opportunity to truly appreciate her choice in sleep apparel. _Are those dancing turkeys on her pajama pants?_

“Is Asher here?He didn’t come back to the circus last night.”

“And why is that any of your business?”

 _They totally are!Dancing turkeys!_ Her ridiculously unsexy sleep apparel gave Jason the courage that he needed to reclaim his lost step and say, “I just want to make sure that Asher isn’t frying in an alley somewhere.”

“He’s fine.He’s asleep in my bed.You know, where I should be.”

“Erm… he’s a vampire, Buffy.They don’t sleep during the day.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.“Go away.I'm still sleeping.”

Jason faked a yawn. “Now that you mention it, I'm exhausted.Mind if I crash on your couch?”

“Yes.”

“I’m too tired to drive.”

“Take a nap in your car.”

“Buffy, please.”

When she moved to shut the door on him, Jason shoved his foot into the gap. Big bad werewolf or not, having a door shut on his foot _really_ hurt.

“Alright, look.You're too perfect and I've hung around vampires long enough to know that spells trouble," Jason said as he rubbed his watering eyes."It’s too late to keep him from getting hurt but I can at least make sure that he doesn’t get killed.”

Buffy stared at him.Jason (mostly) resisted the urge to fidget.

“I'm trying to decide if I should hit you for being insulting or admire you for being such a good friend.”

Jason smiled his smarmiest smile.

Buffy punched him in the chest hard enough to send him staggering backwards and slammed the door shut.

"What happened to the admiration?" Jason shouted through the door.He could hear Buffy locking all of the locks on the other side of it, one after another.

"You can have that too," Buffy called back.Her voice was getting further and further away from the door. _"If_ you go away!"

Jason stared at the closed door for a moment.Then he sighed and shrugged before heading back to his car for a morning nap.

 

 

**#027. Fear**

With awareness came the decadent press of skin against sheets and skin against skin.Asher awoke in a blinding terror.He shoved at the warm flesh that was pressed against his as he scrabbled for something, anything, to cover himself with.The mattress jerked and something finally came free.

_Thump!_

He yanked whatever he had a handful of up to his chin and glanced over his surroundings.

“B-Buffy?”

Her blond head popped up over the other side of the bed.She scowled at him.

“I wish you’d recognized me before you kicked me out of the bed.”She pouted.“I wasn’t even getting crumbs in it.”

Asher clutched the sheets under his chin tighter.“Forgive me.It was a reflex.Nothing more.”

“No harm done,” she said as she clambered up on the bed with him.“It’s fine."

It was not _fine._ He was practically naked.

Buffy skimmed her warm hand over his bare shoulder.Asher shuddered but let her pull the sheets down to his waist.With a flirty smile, Buffy cuddled against his side.It was the scarred one.

"I thought it would be romantic if I was in bed with you when you woke up.I didn't mean to give you heart failure."

"It's just... I'm nearly naked."

"You are, aren't you?" Buffy mused as she traced a finger down the top of his thigh.He could feel the press of her nail through the fabric of her sheets.

Asher caught her hand.He tugged Buffy so that she spilled across his lap, her head and shoulders resting against his thighs.Her blonde hair was very bright against the pale blue sheets.

"I should kiss you."

"If you want to," she said coyly.

Asher grinned wolfishly, loving her blush and eager smile.

"Very much," he promised her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	8. "I dreamed about my sisters."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#092. Green**

"A grain for each of my daughters and a leaf for each of yours," said the First Slayer.She was sitting in one of Buffy's trees, the green leaves stark against her shades of brown.

Buffy, who was standing in the desert, wriggled her toes against the hot sand.She stared at the blond man who was sleeping at the base of the tree that the First Slayer was sitting in.Dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans, he was vaguely familiar.

"Death is your gift," intoned the First Slayer as the man woke, his pale blue eyes darkening several shades while his hair lightened to a familiar shade of bleached blond.

"It's all about the blood," Spike told her.He curled his tongue at Buffy."Especially yours.Remember this?"

He gestured to his right where Faith had Angel pinned against another of Buffy's trees.As Buffy watched, Faith stabbed Angel through the lung with a poison-tipped crossbow bolt.

"Slayer," hissed the First Slayer.She had a rough ax with a red blade in her hands.The First Slayer tossed the blade to Buffy but Buffy caught an ancient spear, its shaft smooth and warm against her palms.She spun it over her head, faster and faster, until the air whistled against the shaft.

_Fwettttttttttt!Eeeettttttttt!Be-be-be-beeetttttt!Be-be-be-beeetttttt!_

Buffy bolted upright, her hand automatically slapping her alarm clock into submission.After a moment, she reached for the journal on her bedside table and began scribbling in it.

She was still thinking about her dream in her lit class that evening when her phone began to vibrate.Buffy glanced at her cell, looked at it again, and slipped out of her seat.She waited until she was in the girls' bathroom to answer it.

"What's the what?" she asked as she checked the stalls for other people.Fortunately, the bathroom was empty.

"We need you," Zebrowski said."The scene... It's bad.Really bad.But fresh.How soon can you get here?"

"I'm at the university."

Zebrowski swore.

"You'll never make it past rush hour traffic on your own.Okay, I'll send the campus police to give you a ride.What building are you in?"

Buffy told him and she told him what exit she would be using then hung up and went back to class.When she started packing up her things, the instructor shot her a poisonous look but otherwise continued pontificating.Buffy made a mental note to get an excuse off of Zebrowski.If anyone would be sympathetic to her plight in lit class, it was Zebrowski.

A police car, with a university logo next to the backseat's window, was waiting for her at the curb.As a matter of principle, Buffy claimed a seat in the front.Who knew what had gone on in the backseat?Plus, she had nearly ended up back there on more than one occasion back in Sunnydale.There was a certain frisson of pleasure every time at ending up in the front seat instead of the backseat.

The crime scene reminded Buffy of her worst days in Sunnydale.

"Vampire," she said after inspecting the pieces of the victims.

"How can you tell?" asked Dolph, looming over Buffy's shoulder.

"Experience.Can I touch anything yet?"

"If you can stomach it," Zebrowski replied as he offered her a pair of latex gloves.

Buffy gently pressed the remnants of a woman's forearm together, holding it together so that they could see the initial incisions.

"See here?She must have seen the vamp coming and raised her arm to protect herself.The vamp stabbed his or her fangs in and tore them down and then to the right.Then the vamp stabbed his fangs into her arm again, _here,_ and went right again."

Buffy carefully removed her fingers from the arm.The mess of ragged flesh and chipped bone slowly squished apart, opening like an obscene flower in bloom.

"Just eyeballing the marks, the same vamp killed both men and the other woman," Buffy said as she carefully peeled her soiled latex gloves off.She nodded to the right side of the intersection."The vamp went that way."

"How can you tell?" asked Zebrowski.He squinted in the direction that Buffy had indicated."It's too dark for me to see that far."

"There's a smear of fresh blood along the side of the curb.I'll show you if you like," Buffy said."Do you want me to find the vamp?And if so, do you want me to bring him or her in?"

"Alive, if you can," Dolph said grimly."But don't take any chances.How long will it take you to get ready?"

Buffy dumped her bookbag into Zebrowski's arms.She pulled her crosses out from under her shirt, one from Giles, one from Merrick, and one from Wesley, and took a can of extra hold hair spray, a lighter, and stake out of her purse.(There was no need for them to know about Mr. Pointy at the back of her waistband.)

"I'm good to go," she said as she passed her purse off to Zebrowski."Oh!Wait!"

She took her cell phone out of her purse and, after a moment's deliberation, tucked it and the stake into opposite coat pockets.

"I'll call you soon," Buffy said and, lighter in one hand and a half-used mini-can of extra hold hairspray in the other, Buffy stalked down the sidewalk after her prey.The vamp was not hard to track.Her quarry literally left a trail of blood.

Buffy found the right vamp thirteen blocks away, dazed and covered in dried blood.She rattled off the 'please come quietly' spiel followed by the 'these are your rights' spiel and ended with, "and if you don't come quietly, I will kick your ass and enjoy every minute of it."

He blinked at her.His eyes were nearly as green as the leaves had been in her dream.The stray thought sent a shiver of foreboding down Buffy's spine.

"Sir?"Buffy edged closer."Did you understand what I said?"

He collapsed against the nearest wall.

Buffy stuffed her makeshift blowtorch in the same pocket as her stake.She put her free hand on Mr. Pointy and fished out her cell phone.Dialing while keeping an eye on an obviously unwell vampire was tricky.

"I've found him but there's something wrong with him," Buffy reported."He's totally out of it.I gave him the standard speeches but I don't think he's understood anything I've said."

"Where are you?" asked Zebrowski.When Buffy finished giving him directions, Zebrowski said, "Stay there.I'll be along with a wagon ASAP."

The wagon was actually about the size of a small bus, made from reinforced steel, and driven by a pair of vampires.When they saw the red-handed murderer, they both looked uneasy.

"Do you know him?" Buffy asked as they dutifully moved to usher the other vampire into the wagon.

"He works for the Master of the City," said one.

"I've heard that he technically belongs to the master's human servant," said the other.

Buffy swore.

"What?" Zebrowski asked."What'd I miss?"

"Anita Blake is Jean-Claude's human servant," Buffy said.

Zebrowski cursed.Then he sighed.

"If he's somehow her responsibility, she's going to be a pain in the ass about this."

"He's murdered _four people!_ He's covered in their blood!What's there to be a pain in the ass about?"

"You've obviously never met Blake."

 

If Anita Blake was difficult about the red-headed vampire, Buffy never knew.She showed up at the courthouse when she was told to, answered the lawyers' questions to the best of her ability, and helped move the vamp to a specialized institution when it became apparent that he was incapable of aiding in his defense and thus was not an immediate candidate for trial.

Two weeks later, when he slaughtered half of the institution's population and turned the other half, Buffy returned to the institution.By the time she had the situation and most of the recently turned vampires under control, Buffy had staked the one that she had found in the alley and several of his children.Buffy was not sorry to feel him die.

The tragedy of the institution was appalling but the feel of a good, hard fight against unfavorable odds felt good.Right.It buoyed her through the Christmas season.And, between her weird dreams and Asher's weird acquaintances, Buffy needed buoying.

 _This, however, is perhaps a bit too literal,_ she thought.In her dream, Buffy was sitting on a rocking buoy.Tara, dressed in a poufy pink dress and a sparkly pink tiara, smiled serenely at Buffy.But then, she was floating in an enormous pink bubble.Buffy was the one being battered by the hurricane.

"You must find your gift before the Wicked Witch finds you," Tara said.

"What gift?"

For a moment, Tara flickered and became the First Slayer.

"Death is your gift," she rasped.

And then it was Tara in the pink bubble again.Buffy was profoundly grateful.The first of her line was not suited for anything pink or bubbly.

"So I have to find... my death?"

Tara smiled."Exactly.And before the Wicked Witch finds you."

"Who's the Wicked Witch?"

"You'll know her when you see her," Tara said."What will you do with your gift?"

"I, uh, was planning on avoiding it," Buffy said as the buoy under her gave a particularly nasty heave."I always prefer not to die."

"Gifts that come to you, unsought and unexpected, are rare and precious," Tara said sadly."You should cherish your gift and keep your gift with you always."

"But without dying of it."

"Of course," Tara agreed.A long white wand appeared in her hand.She swished it at Buffy scoldingly."What sort of gift would that be?"

"The kind that people usually give me," Buffy muttered.

"This is the best sort of gift," Tara promised her.She held out her wand."Here."

"Thanks," Buffy said as she took the wand from Tara.In her hands it turned into an ancient spear.Its tip glowed blood red under the bubble's pink light."This is the sort of gift that I like."

"Not a gift," rasped the First Slayer.Buffy shuddered to see her lounging in Tara's giant pink bubble again."Destiny!"

"Oh.Of course," Buffy said as she gingerly stood taller on the bucking buoy.She began to spin the spear over her head.In her hands, the spear whistled through the air as it slowly morphed into an enormous old ax with a blood red blade.And still she spun it and still it whistled through the air.

_Fwettttttttttt!Eeeettttttttt!Knock!Knock!Knock!_

Buffy bolted upright, gasping for breath and her heart pounding.For a moment, she was lost in the dark and looking for a pink bubble.

_Knock!Knock!Knock! Knock!Knock!Knock!_

Someone was very insistently knocking at her door.

Choosing to ignore them for the time being, Buffy reached for the journal on her bedside table and hurriedly scribbled down the details of her dream.Whoever it was never stopped knocking.

When Buffy finally staggered out of bed, through her living room, and to the front door, she brought her favorite sword with her.She slammed her front door open with mostly feigned ill grace.

"What?" she snarled.Cool air buffeted her, making her skin stand up in gooseflesh.

Nathaniel smiled at her brightly.Jason looked like he was seriously considering curling up and dying on the spot.They both had lots of brown paper bags in their arms.

"Merry Christmas, Buffy!"

"I swear I tried to stop him," Jason pleaded."He's just so..."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed."He is."

"We only have ten days until Christmas," Nathaniel said serenely."We won't have enough food unless we start cooking today."

"Wait a minute, who said anything about you and all of your little friends coming over for Christmas?I might have plans."

"Do you?" asked Jason.

"...for Christmas Eve," Buffy admitted."I have some personal traditions for Christmas Day."

"We won't get in the way," Nathaniel promised.

"Look, we'll provide all of the food this time and you can just eat," Jason put in, a bit desperately."You can even have all of the leftovers, if there are any."

"I can eat a _lot,"_ Buffy warned.

"I remember," Jason said with a crooked grin.

"And I'm going back to bed.I'm not going to be any sort of help until this afternoon _if_ you're lucky."

"Okay," Jason said and Nathaniel nodded.

"No parties," Buffy warned as she opened the door wider and stepped back, allowing them entrance to her apartment.She staggered back to bed before either of them could reply.

This time, Buffy dreamed about raising Dawn and owning a home improvement store in Texas with Giles.She definitely preferred it to her other dream, even though she always seemed to have sawdust in her hair.

 

 

Nathaniel woke Buffy up with his knocking every morning after that.He usually had Cherry with him.

 _At least he has the good sense to knock and bring someone (relatively) normal with him,_ Buffy thought blearily the first morning that he brought Cherry by.She lowered her sword and stepped aside.Buffy squinted at what there was of Cherry's outfit as Nathaniel brushed past her. He headed directly for the kitchen.

"Does your sister know what you're wearing?" Buffy asked absently, thinking of what she would do if Dawnie tried to leave the house wearing something like that. Slayer strength definitely came in handy, if only in Buffy's imagination.

"I don't have a sister," Cherry said, looking confused."Who told you that I have a sister?"

"Never mind," she said. "It's not important."

Cherry hesitated on the threshold.Buffy took another step back and opened the door wider.And still Cherry hesitated.

"I'm never going to say those words.They're too dangerous."

Cherry cautiously edged over the threshold. When Buffy smiled at her, Cherry took a few more steps inside the apartment.She shivered when Buffy closed the door behind her.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you.I'm just not a morning person."

Cherry looked dismayed.

"I'm so sorry.Again.I didn't know!Nathaniel said that it wasn't a problem.And Jason said--"

"It's fine," Buffy said.She made sure to wave the hand that was not holding the sword hilt.Cherry looked worried enough as it was."I'm going back to bed.Keep an eye on Nathaniel.And no parties."

That last seemed unlikely with Cherry but it was starting to become a habit with these people.Besides, who knew what else Nathaniel or Jason had told her?Buffy decided never to think about that.Instead, she and her sword went back to bed.

Giles was waiting for her in her dream.He was drinking tea with the First Slayer.

"What? _Why?"_

"I'm your guide," Giles said calmly between sips of tea."Who better to teach you how to be one?"

"Giles I'm a Slayer, not a Watcher.I don't need to guide anyone, anywhere."

Giles smiled."That's where you're mistaken, Buffy."

Buffy groaned.

 

 

As per her new tradition, Buffy spent Christmas Eve at Pete Cannon's house.Every year, the entirety of the Cannon clan got together and hosted a rollicking Christmas party.There were costumes and punch and gifts.It was wonderful.

On Christmas morning, Buffy got up and opened most of the presents under her tree.They had been part of exchanges between friends and colleagues.Then Buffy visited the botanical gardens (all of the greenery in the green houses reminded Buffy of Dawnie) and then went out for Chinese food as per Scoobie tradition.She got home to find that her apartment had been invaded by the socially inept.People sometimes called them wereleopards.

"I tried to stop them," Jason pleaded."Please don't chop off our heads."

Buffy rolled her eyes."Fine.But we're watching Jerry Blue's Christmas first."

Jason relaxed.He grinned."Okay."

After an entire day of cheesy Christmas movies and laughter and really excellent food, Buffy got to exchange presents with Asher that night.And then, much later still, Jean-Claude came over to take them out to dinner and exchange gifts with them.If Jean-Claude checked his cell phone for nonexistent messages more often than was polite, Buffy and Asher pretended not to notice.

It was a lovely Christmas.

 

 

**#037 Birthday**

His body jerked as Asher's consciousness returned bring with it the sensation of soft cloth sliding over his chest, warm skin pressing against his side in a long naked line, and a small, calloused hand resting over his bare hip.He tensed, sucking in his first breath of the evening.Scenting Buffy's laundry detergent, various fruity soaps, and Buffy’s scent, Asher relaxed.

Buffy was exactly where she had been when he had died at dawn, curled against his left side.

As he slowly exhaled, Buffy's arm slid across his abdomen to grip his opposite hip.Her hand felt very warm, even through the fabric of his silk sleeping trousers.Soft strands of hair brushed his skin and then warm lips kissed the scarred side of his chest.Asher shivered.

“Happy New Year's.”

Warmth and happiness tickled his heart.Asher smiled and tightened his arms around Buffy.He rolled her on top of him, skin sliding against skin, and then opened his eyes.Buffy's smiling face was the first thing that he saw that night.

"Why do you do this every time you sleep over?" she asked, sounding amused more than anything else.

"When I was a boy, my father told me that every day should begin with a vision of beauty," Asher said as he tucked a bit of Buffy's dry hair behind her ear."At the time, he was talking about my bedroom's decor but I have always found it to be one of his better pieces of fatherly advice."

Blushing, Buffy rewarded him for his implicit compliment by laying a line of kisses up the side of his throat.Asher helpfully turned his head to the side to give her better access.

“What did you dream?” Asher asked, as if they had woken up together as any other couple might.He loved that Buffy made it seem as if she had spent the day with him instead of doing whatever it was that she actually did during the day.

“I dreamed about my sisters.”

“Dawn is not your only sibling?”

“She's the only one related to me.The dream wasn't about her."

"Oh?"Asher rolled them both onto their sides, the better to face Buffy."What was it about?"

Buffy frowned.

"What will be.And my gift.And this assassin that I once met.He's an independent contractor, _not_ a member of the Order of Taraka."

"That's good?"

"Very," Buffy agreed."Especially since I think we're supposed to meet again.Professionally, I mean, and soon.But not too soon.I might have time for a good morning or two."

When he laughed, Buffy leaned up to capture his mouth with hers.Asher kissed her back hungrily, threading the fingers of one hand through her hair to massage her scalp.She tasted like mint toothpaste and Buffy.

“I love my good morning smoochies," she sighed contentedly.

Asher pressed a soft kiss against the curve of her collar bone then asked, “Smoochies?”

Buffy stole a quick kiss from his mouth.“Smoochie.”

Asher claimed another 'smoochie' from his lover and then another.As they kissed, his hands roamed over the smooth expanses of her skin and framed her hips.They ended up fitted together such that her thigh made him see stars and his made her whine.They kissed and rocked together and Asher barely suppressed the urge to bite her and draw her blood.

When Buffy found completion, she bit down on his shoulder, using his flesh to muffle her groan.Arching against her, Asher cried out as he found his own pleasure.Afterwards, Buffy drowsed while he stroked a hand through her hair and hummed to her.

"Good morning, _mon couer."_

Buffy giggled."Morning, Sunshine."

 

 

Buffy did not sign up for spring or summer classes at the university's main campus.Instead, she signed up for two online classes in the spring, turned down a few jobs, and focused on honing her gymnastic and skating routines to perfection. Being the Slayer gave Buffy certain advantages but she still needed to practice.

Asher, who constantly gave Buffy new insights into Anya's obsession with orgasms, was wonderful about Buffy's preoccupation.He gave Buffy access to the circus' wifi so that she could do her class work at the coffee table in his office and came to watch her practice.

To celebrate her birthday, Buffy went out to lunch with a few friends and then went drinking with Pete the night before a quick and easy job in Chicago.

Buffy's usual birthday luck ran true.

The 'quick and easy' job in Chicago was neither quick nor easy. It ran long and Buffy had bruised ribs, a black eye and butterfly stitches along one forearm. On the train ride from Chicago back to St. Louis, Buffy caught some sort of frilled demon-thing chomping on a passenger. That ended with a dead demon, hours and hours worth of paperwork for the state of Illinois, and more stitches... for her.

She staggered through her front door, dripping muddy water everywhere and fantasizing about food and a hot bath, and went still.She smiled so widely that her cheeks hurt.

"Asher…"

He had covered the bare walls of her apartment in softly colored fabrics and lit candles on every flat surface.There was a finely carved table in the middle of the room set for two and complete with thick heavy linen and real china serving dishes.Asher stood next to the table in a finely cut and very modern suit.His smile was hesitant and a bit shy.His hair, gleaming in the candle light, had been brushed back and neatly clipped at the base of his neck so that both the scarred and unscarred sides of his face were clearly visible.He hadn’t even twisted any shadows over the scars.

Buffy’s heart melted.She smiled shyly and fiddled with her muddy hair.

“…This is perfect.”His face brightened.“I’ll just… Let me get cleaned up.”

Because there was no way that she was sitting down to a table like that with a man who was that yummy looking when she looked like a half-drowned mud wrestler.

“Of course,” he said, looking at her muddy self with open interest.For Asher, at least, the mud was apparently no deterrent."But leave the presents on the bed alone."

"Presents?" Buffy asked, her interest perking up."Plural?"

"Two are from Jean-Claude and the rest are from me."

Buffy's steps were very light on her way into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Buffy was freshly scrubbed and tightly wrapped in a short silk bathrobe.Her hair was wrapped in a fluffy white towel.Asher leered at her like she was wearing something entirely different.Buffy flushed.

Over dinner, they chatted about classes, circus patrons, and Buffy's recent performance in gymnastics at nationals.After dinner, Asher carried Buffy to bed to unwrap her gifts... among other things.

 

 

**#084. Wish**

Kicking ass in the morning always made Buffy hungry.Fortunately, her hotel provided a free continental breakfast.

 _Their mistake,_ Buffy thought happily as she loaded up her third plate.She scored an abandoned newspaper from another table and made her way back to the fencing team's table.

She was glad that she was sitting down when she read the headlines.Apparently, Anita had been busy in New Mexico.

 _Jean-Claude will be happy that she's okay,_ Buffy thought as she reread the article.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?" Buffy asked as she looked up from the paper.

"Are you ready?" asked the coach."Your next match is coming up."

"Almost!"

Buffy abandoned the paper in favor of wolfing down her free breakfast.

When she called Asher that night, they talked about her matches and his work before Asher said, "I'm relieved that the New Mexico case is over.Jean has been beside himself."

"Was he really that worried?Anita's been an executioner for awhile now."

"She must have been seriously injured at some point because, for awhile, Jean-Claude was eating for two."

"Can you do that?" Buffy asked, astonished.

"A master vampire with a human servant or animal to call can do so, yes."

"But they seem so... distant.And they have different goals.I thought you had to be close to use a human-vampire bond."

"They do not behave like such a joining ought to," Asher said grimly."The best bondings are a loving marriage between equals or friends.The worst ones are a master-slave relationship.While having a close relationship strengthens the bond and increases the powers associated with it, a close relationship isn't necessary."

"What's Jean-Claude and Anita's bonding like?"

"Jean-Claude's triumvirate is dysfunctional."

Buffy went cold.Her lips numb, she asked, "Tr-Triumvirate?Jean-Claude and Anita are only two..."

"There is a third part to their bond.A master werewolf."

"Oh."

Buffy sat down.Hard.

"Buffy?My heart?Are you well?" Asher asked anxiously.

"Peachy keen," Buffy said, her lips numb.It was the difference between knowing and _knowing._

"You sound unwell," Asher persisted.

"I just... had a thought.Asher, can the triumvirate's bond be broken?"

"Yes.Jean-Claude's necromancer and master werewolf have not yet taken their fourth marks.After that, breaking the bond would risk madness or death.Why?"

"I... don't think Anita, Jean-Claude, and the master werewolf are going to last.They don't seem... suited to one another."

"Probably not," Asher agreed."But don't tell Jean-Claude that.He would not take the criticism well."

"I'm not _criticizing._ I'm just _saying."_

"I know, my heart, but Jean-Claude would not see it so."Asher sighed.

When Buffy called Asher the next night, he sounded tense.

"Is anything the matter?" Buffy asked, when he failed to gloat over her undefeated record.Asher always took pleasure in Buffy's accomplishments.

"It is Jean-Claude," Asher admitted.He lowered his voice."He is waiting for Anita's phone call.It is making him... unpleasant... to live with."

"I'm sorry to hear that.Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, but thank you."

The next night, Asher answered Buffy's call with, "I'll call you later, near dawn.Until then, my heart."

The night after that, Asher texted Buffy before she got around to calling.

_I wish A would call JC.How did you fair in your matches?_

Buffy quickly texted back, _I dominated!I'm undefeated!_

A few minutes later, her cell phone vibrated insistently.

_I knew that you would!Congratulations, my beautiful, bloodthirsty love!_

A week later, Buffy returned to St. Louis triumphant.

"I took first!" she called when she spotted Asher and Jason waiting for her on the other side of the gate."I qualified!I'm in!"

As soon as she was through the gate, Asher swept her off of her feet."Congratulations!"

"We should celebrate!" Jason said cheerfully."Let's go out!Drinks on Asher!"

"You are an impertinent creature," Asher said indulgently.

"I don't drink," Buffy said.She looked up at Asher hopefully."How about ice cream?"

"But of course, my love!You shall have anything that you wish!"

Asher treated Buffy and Jason to enormous banana splits.He watched them eat with amused fondness.

"You ate all of yours?" Jason asked.He looked disappointed."You eat like a shifter."

"Good genes," Buffy said."Ugh.I'm too full to walk back to the car."

"Then I shall carry you home," Asher said grandly.

And he did.He swept her off of her feet, carried her out of the ice cream shop, down a side street, and took to the skies.Buffy waved to Jason as he got smaller and smaller beneath them.

"I'll bring your duffle by tomorrow!" he shouted.

"Thanks!"

 

 

Jason showed up on Buffy's doorstep with her duffle bag at lunchtime the next day.

"Where are your weird pajamas?" he asked when Buffy opened the door.

"Didn't wear them," Buffy said with a smirk."I'll swap you lunch for my stuff."

"Deal!"

They tossed Buffy's duffle bag into her apartment, Buffy grabbed her purse, and they left, cheerfully bickering about where to go.They settled on a deli downtown, near the courthouse.

"Hey, I know you and Jean-Claude aren't, like, best buds or anything," Jason said."But I don't suppose you'd consider distracting him?He's driving everyone sort of nuts with all of his stalking and nit picking and general snideness."

"Why doesn't he just call Anita?"

"He promised that he'd wait for her to call him," Jason said.He smiled crookedly."I know it sounds weird but Jean-Claude's a man of his word... if you can get him to promise."

"I'll do my best."

When Buffy dropped by Asher's office the next night, she brought her ice skates.

"I'm not here to see you," she told Asher before she kissed him hello.Afterwards, she said, "I'm lying in wait for Jean-Claude."

"He'll be by soon," Asher advised."Try not to look too happy.It irritates him."

When Jean-Claude breezed into Asher's office, Buffy hefted her ice skates at him and said, "You know you want to."

Jean-Claude looked unimpressed."I cannot.I'm expecting a phone call."

"From Anita."

Jean-Claude narrowed his eyes at Asher but gritted, "Yes."

"Have you picked out your outfit for when you next see her?"When Jean-Claude hesitated, Buffy asked, "Can I see it?"

"If you wish."

Buffy spent the rest of the night passionately arguing in favor of color and against Jean-Claude's favorite pair of thigh-high leather boots.She figured that his addiction to ruffles and pirate gear was a lost cause.As dawn drew nearer, Jean-Claude started to look drawn and preoccupied.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Should I go?"

"Can you send Jason to me on your way to Asher's room?"

"Of course."Buffy hesitated then asked, "Will you be okay?"

"I always am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	9. "Good hunting."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#078 Travel**

Buffy was out of town (potentially) qualifying for the Olympics figure skating team when Anita finally called Jean-Claude.She called to ask a favor.

Asher was not impressed.

He was even less impressed when he heard the nature of Anita's request.It was the sort of thing that Illinois and Missouri had laws against.Buffy had strong, usually lethal, feelings about law-breakers.And she had once stated quite clearly that, were he ever to be under an order of execution, she would do her duty by both the state and whatever higher power had ordained her as The Slayer.

Asher had promised not to break Buffy's heart.It was a promise that he intended to keep.

But it would be best if Jean-Claude had nothing to link him to the information leak.In his current state of mind, Jean would probably mistake it for a betrayal of his interests.So Asher nodded when Jean-Claude described Anita's desire to storm the fetish club Narcissus in Chains to save her leopards, dressed in club gear borrowed from Jean-Claude's endless wardrobe, and made no complaint as Jason drove them to the club.

While Jean-Claude, Richard, and Anita were writhing on the dance floor, marrying their marks and flooding the place with their emotions, Asher slipped away from the entranced crowd.He placed a discreet phone call at one of the pay phones, out of the line of sight of Narcissus' cameras.Asher made it back in time for the grand finale for the floor show.

Then he helpfully bargained for his right to join Jean-Claude in the negotiating room, dragged out said negotiations, and volunteered to dominate Narcissus when Anita and Richard made it apparent that they were incapable of behaving in public.

"Thank you," Richard said, as if Asher had volunteered for his or Anita's sakes.

"Asher..." Jean-Claude said, a wealth of questions and meanings layered into Asher's name.

"It's all right," Asher said harshly even though it was not.To prove how all right it was, Asher slapped Narcissus in the face with his vest a few times, making Narcissus' mouth bleed.

That was when the police burst into the room.

Asher snatched his vest back from Narcissus before the police ordered him to lay on his stomach.He did as he was told.

Buffy had once told Asher that police budgets generally did not include money earmarked for silver bullets.Judging by the sounds of automatic gunfire coming from the upstairs of the club, someone had decided that some hellish variety of machine gun worked just as well on non-law-abiding were-creatures as silver bullets.Asher could see the point.A rapid healing factor only took one so far in the face of modern or specialized weaponry.

They were still all hauled in for individual questioning.When asked Asher had no qualms in telling the truth: Anita had called and asked Jean-Claude for assistance and Jean-Claude had sought to provide it.

"For himself, Jean-Claude has no interest in Narcissus or his bar," Asher stiffly informed the tidy detective sitting across from him."Jean-Claude's interest ends with the city and its surrounding area.And, given the choice, he would sooner crawl across broken glass than deal with Narcissus.Jean-Claude was in that bar because Anita asked him to go there and help her.I was there because Jean-Claude is my master."

"Thank you," said the detective as he stood."I'll be back in a few minutes."

The police did not charge Asher or Jean-Claude or any of Jean-Claude's servants.They wanted to have a strong word with Anita, however.In Asher's last glimpse of her, Anita wore a furious, pinched expression.Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Do you think we should retain an attorney for her?" asked Asher after he and Jean-Claude had been politely escorted from the building.

Jean-Claude cocked his head to the side.His expression became unfocused.Asher patiently waited for Jean-Claude to finish speaking with his human servant.

"She will call her own attorney if she needs representation," Jean-Claude finally said."Asher, ma petite has asked us to find out who called the police."

"Why?Anita's leopards have been rescued and taken to the hospital which was what Anita wanted.None of us are imprisoned or in danger of incurring a state-mandated execution.No one had to spend a night in Narcissus' company.Things have worked out well for us, Jean-Claude."

Jean-Claude's expression went carefully blank.

"Asher, are you and Mademoiselle Buffy no longer seeing one another?"

"We are still very much together and very much in love," Asher assured Jean-Claude.

"I see," Jean-Claude said heavily.After a beat of silence, he said, "Perhaps it would be best if we were to assume that, in the darkness and distraction of the club, it would be impossible to track down the culprit.And a great many of the club goers wore full hoods."

"It would probably be for the best," Asher said levelly.

"And the fate of her vampire servant should nicely divert Anita from pursuing that question," Jean-Claude murmured.

Asher had difficulty keeping his face still and blandly uninterested as he asked, "Do you think she'll even notice his absence?She failed to notice his descent into madness."

"She will notice," Jean-Claude said grimly."Ma petite always notices that which you would least like her to focus on."

True to his prediction, Anita _did_ notice Damien's absence.

She noticed it shortly after she took on a leopard king, Micah.Apparently, he was on a trial basis as a lover since he was willing to feed the lust that Anita had inherited from Jean-Claude and his beast called to Anita's own, despite the impossibility of it.Jean-Claude found Micah to be beautiful and _charming._ Asher found him to be suspicious and irritating.

When Jean-Claude informed Anita of Damien's fate, Anita went pale and cold with rage.

"Who did it?" she demanded, her weapon already to hand."Who murdered him?"

"A vampire executioner named The Slayer fulfilled the court's order of execution," Asher said carefully."There is nothing anyone could have done to save Damien.If The Slayer had not taken the contract, another executioner would have, perhaps even your student Larry Kirkland."

Although that seemed unlikely to Asher.The grapevine held that Larry Kirkland was a man who understood his limits.In the end, executing Damien had not been the sort of job that Kirkland would have taken as the primary executioner.

"Larry wouldn't have taken the contract," Anita snapped."He knows that the circus' vampires are mine!Damien was mine!How could you let him die, Jean-Claude?"

"How could I have saved him?" asked Jean-Claude.

"You could have hidden him!You could've sent him away!Did you even file an appeal?"

"He tore four people apart on the street in front of dozens of witnesses," Asher shouted back."The Slayer tracked him down, subdued him, and brought him in for trial.And, after he slaughtered or turned thirty-seven people, the Slayer staked him and sixteen of the people that he turned!There was nothing _anyone_ could have done for him."

"I don't believe you," Anita snapped."Damien wouldn't've done that!"

"He _did!_ You drove him mad!"

"Asher!" hissed Jean-Claude."Leave."

While Jean-Claude, Richard, and Micah danced attendance on Anita and her rage (and danced around each other), Asher slipped away to make a phone call.

Buffy was transcendent with joy.She usually was when it came to ice skating.Her happiness soothed Asher's ragged edges away.When the conversation looped back around to him, Asher was relaxed enough to tell her amusing anecdotes from his night or about his work.In his nightly conversations with Buffy, Asher never remembered to mention the incident with Narcissus.It was not even worth mentioning.Anita's very vocal antipathy toward the Slayer for murdering her vampire servant _was_ worth mentioning.

"It's probably a good thing that no one knows who she is," Asher said carefully.

"Hey, not everyone's an attention hound," Buffy said."Some executioners actually love the identity shield laws.The Slayer is one of them."

 _"Good,"_ Asher said with real feeling before the conversation turned to other, more pleasant things.

Although he missed her in myriad ways, large and small, Asher was grateful that Buffy had chosen just then to travel to another state.Between Jean-Claude's raging lust, Anita's seething rage, and Richard's raging instability, the circus was a very uncomfortable place at the moment.Asher wished that he had more excuses to leave it.

 

 

**#097. Bonds**

_The problem,_ Asher decided, _is that Jean-Claude and Anita are unaccustomed to denying Anita's wants._

It was problematic in everyday life, of course, but now that Anita had inherited a piece of Jean-Claude's lust things were spiraling out of control.It was early days yet but Asher knew the signs.One had to in order to survive at Belle's court.

So when Buffy called and announced that she was going to extend her stay to look into 'a rash of hinky-ness' in New York City, Asher was quietly relieved.Not that he told Buffy as much.

The swell of unmitigated lust, and the boy with bites all over his back, made Asher grateful that Buffy had decided to stay away longer.And that was _before_ Jean-Claude and Jason arrived or Anita propositioned him.

Buffy was understanding of many things.And she was incredibly supportive of Asher's attempts to grow past his fears.But there was no way that she would understand or support _that._

When Asher said as much, Anita frowned and asked, "You're still seeing her?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... she doesn't really fit in with..." Anita flapped a hand at the room in general and the three nearly naked men on Jean-Claude's bed in particular."Everything.Your lifestyle."

 _"Your_ lifestyle," Asher quietly corrected.He tightened the sash on his robe because everyone, including Anita, was very naked.It made him uncomfortable."I am in a monogamous committed relationship with a wonderful person whom I adore."

“You said once that you’d strip and let me take you to bed,” Anita persisted."Now I want to.Come to bed with us, Asher."

“That was then. This is now.”Asher said as he moved toward the bedroom's door.“I don't want you or to join your orgy.Please leave me alone, Anita.”

Anita scrambled between Asher and the door, crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest, and scowled at him most fearsomely.

“I’m not letting you leave until you accept my love for you.”

"Accepting the fact that you believe that you love me does not require me to allow you access to my body," Asher said.He did some fearsome scowling of his own."Move, Anita."

"No.It's not an orgy.You'll just be biting Jason.You have to eat sometime tonight so why not now?With us, people who love you?" Anita said and Asher had to close his eyes against such an open display of ignorance.Even Buffy, who feared his bite, knew some of what it meant to him, her vampire.

 _Does Anita ever bite Jean during sex?_ Asher wondered, enjoying the phantom pinch of his flesh between Buffy's small, blunt teeth.Jean-Claude's lust, now Anita's Asher supposed, raged through the room making all such memories tactile.

Anita drew away from Asher.She was pink with embarrassment.

 _Serves her right,_ Asher thought as he reached for the door handle. _It takes a more skilled hand than that to roll me with the lust._

Anita plastered herself against the inside of the door.

"Asher, I love you," Anita said.Her voice was small and fragile."Jean-Claude loves you.Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Asher stared down at Anita and knew that he had never, and probably would never, hate anyone so much as he hated her in that moment.

“If you loved me, Anita, you wouldn’t be so cruel to me.”

His unspoken accusation – _If you loved Jean, you wouldn’t be so cruel to him!_ – rang through the room.Anita was probably deaf to it.

"Not even Belle was so cruel as this, Anita," Asher continued."I think that if I had never met Buffy, I would be desperate enough to accept your offer, Anita.But I did meet her and I am loved and I am not desperate enough to hunger for your pale imitation of Jean-Claude's love."

Jean closed his eyes and tilted his head so that his hair shielded him from Asher's gaze. His shoulders hunched and his arms crossed so that he could clutch at his own shoulders with his long, pale hands.Jean-Claude turned away, into the gathering shadows.

For a moment it was a little under three hundred years ago, the air was heavy with perfume, and the world was softly lit with candles as Asher, in his rage and shame and hate, cruelly ground the slivers of Jean’s affections into the dirt.

Asher’s heart shattered into a billion glittering shards.

Anita scowled.“But Asher, I need–”

“I don’t care,” he rasped.“I deserve better than this offer.And I deserve the opportunity to love, be loved, and be happy."

“I do love you!I just said so!What more do you want?”

 _“Jean-Claude_ loves me,” Asher corrected, hating the way that Jean’s shoulders trembled. _“Buffy_ loves me.You reflect Jean’s unending love but you have none of your own for me, Anita.Not really.You don't even want me.To you, I am a toy to be collected or a concession to remain in Jean-Claude’s bed.”

“That’s not true!If Buffy said that--”

"This is not about Buffy or your lack of control.It is about what I deserve.And I deserve better than this.Anita, I must decline your offer.”

Anita was still pressed against the inside of the door.Asher gently picked her up, set her aside, and left.He went back to his room.And then he had a good cry.

 

 

**#025. Jealousy**

Asher spent the first two weeks of Buffy’s absence immersed in his work at the circus.He saw neither hide nor hair of Anita or Jean-Claude during that time.Nor did he hear from Buffy.He did, however, hear rumors from others of his kind that many among New York's vampires were fleeing the resting places to claim sanctuary in the police precincts' dark rooms.Masters were quietly re-blood bonding Dracula's get, Jean-Claude among them.

One night, Asher awakened to find Jason and a frock coat and breeches laid out at the foot of his bed, along with a ruffled white shirt and the time period appropriate accessories, right down to the shape of the shoes.

Buffy’s voice laughed at him in the back of his mind.

_“If you start to develop his unhealthy ruffles addiction, I’m **so** staging an intervention.”_

Asher fed off of the laughing werewolf then slowly bathed and dressed.Jean-Claude met Asher in the main room.He was making minute adjustments to the fall of his clothes.

“What is the occasion, Jean-Claude?”

“Anita wished for us to have a strategy session regarding Lissette's upcoming visit.”Jean-Claude finally stopped fidgeting with his clothes.“I was not sure that you would attend.”

“You are the Master of this City, Jean-Claude.I shall always do as you ask.”

Jean-Claude winced.“I would not interfere in matters between you and Mademoiselle Buffy.”

“She understands the nature of duty.Anyway, she is away on a business trip.”

“Ah.When will she return?”

“I – I do not know.She is uncertain of her return date.”Something in Jean-Claude’s gaze made Asher bristle.“She _will_ return to me.”

Jean-Claude inclined his head, chagrinned.“Forgive me.”

“You were never cruel.”

“I have only what my human servant has to give.”

Asher closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Jean.Julianna had softened Asher and erased his edge of cruelty.Anita had hardened Jean Claude and honed him to a razor’s edge.

_If Buffy accepted my marks, what effect would she have on me?_

“We do not want to be late,” Asher said at last.“Your Anita will be angry if we are.”

Many things made Anita angry.And she was often thoughtlessly cruel.Truly, Jean-Claude had only what Anita had to offer him.

The sight of Richard and Micah sitting across from each other at the table did not fill Asher will a sense of confidence.When Richard and Anita started bickering about three minutes into the war council, Asher sighed.Jean-Claude watched them with veiled eyes and no expression.

Eventually, Anita noticed Asher.By then, Micah and Richard were snarling at each other.

“I assumed that you would bring Muffy,”Anita said.Her jealousy, rather than pleasing Asher as it once would have, merely made him tired.

Asher glowered at her.“There is no need to be petty, Anita.”

Anita’s mouth turned down.

“Asher, she's not suited for any of this!And she's not durable enough to survive it.She's not even a shifter.”

“Buffy is none of your affair!”

“You’re going to get her killed!”

“Anita!”Jean-Claude finally thundered.

Too little, too late.Asher was already on his feet and storming out of the room.

 

 

Asher next saw Anita on his night off.Jean-Claude was attempting to teach her how to utilize her cutlery during a four course meal.

“Non, ma petite.Remember what I said earlier?Start on the outside and work your way in.”

“I’m trying!”

“You are most assuredly _not_ trying,” Asher snapped, ignoring Anita's glare.“Even I can see that and I'm just passing through this room.”

Jean-Claude’s expression was blank but he fidgeted with minor adjustments to the falls and lines of his clothes.A stab of guilt went through Asher.He was souring one of Anita’s rare not-so-foul moods.

“What the hell is your problem?You’ve been being an ass for weeks!”Her eyes narrowed."You’re jealous!"

“Of your attentions?”Asher sneered.“Hardly.”

Anita looked like he had slapped her.

“Of Jean-Claude’s?”Her mouth twisted unpleasantly.“Asher, I’m not going to share him with you.I can’t.You know the rules.”

As Anita continued with her well worn rules and platitudes, Asher's own heart twisted and ached for Jean-Claude’s rare smile, for Julianna’s serious eyes, for Buffy’s bright laughter.It was better for Buffy to be away while Jean-Claude's triumvirate adjusted to their new closeness but he very much wanted her near just then.

He wanted to hold his Buffy close and never, ever let her out of his arm’s reach again.So what if close proximity meant that they were both in harm’s way?Buffy was fierce enough to defend them against anything, demons and Anita included.She would never hurt him and even if she did… even if she did…

Ignoring Anita’s wrath, Asher brushed past her and Jean-Claude as he headed for the door.

"Asher?"Jean-Claude called."Where are you going?"

"To work."

Half an hour later, word came that the most recent Dracula, and most of those either sired by him or under his control, had begun rampaging.

 

 

**#068 Hero**

Anita stormed into the circus, bristling with weapons and peppering the air with curses.

“Ma petite, what is wrong?” Jean-Claude asked, dropping his conversation with Asher.Normally Asher would feel irritated and insulted but Anita was fingering one of her handguns as if she was seriously considering shooting... anyone, really.

“They didn’t ask me to take the hunt in New York!”

Asher and Jean-Claude traded glances.New York City's vampire population was among the hardest hit and its vampire hunters were taking heavy losses.Asher was trying very hard not to think about that.Buffy had made it very clear from the beginning that her relationship with Asher would never, ever affect her professional life.

“Perhaps they have simply not yet called you,” soothed Jean-Claude.

“I talked to Edward this morning.He said that New York had already called in all of its registered vampire executioners before the shit hit the fan.Edward called a contact and offered a consult but his contact seemed pretty certain that The Slayer had a handle on things.A handle!On a hunt like this, he needs all the help that he can get!”

“Perhaps it is for the best that someone else will have the chance to play the hero,”Asher suggested, visions of Anita shooting Buffy or Buffy lopping Anita's head off with an ax filled his mind's eye.

Anita wheeled around to stare at Asher with hard, angry eyes.Out of the line of her sight, Jean-Claude shook his head.Asher shut up.

“Why?I’ve got one of the highest legal kill counts in this country!”

Jean-Claude shifted his hand in assent.He looked… resigned.With a silent apology to his friend, Asher finished his thought.

“You are not yet able to travel without companions, Anita.”

Anita flushed.“That’s not true!”

She stormed out of the room.

Asher winced.For a woman who supposedly valued honesty in her dealings, Anita was remarkably ungracious when someone offered her an unpleasant truth.With a particularly severe glance in Asher’s direction, Jean-Claude sighed and followed his lover from the room.

Asher waited until he was safely ensconced in his office before he dialed Buffy’s cell phone number.After the fifth ring the phone went to messaging.

“Hey!Leave a message and I’ll get back to you!”

After a long beep, Asher said stiffly, “This is Asher.I was... If you have a moment, please call me.”He hesitated a moment then said, “Good hunting.”

 

 

**#015 Fire**

Asher woke to Jason and a folded copy of the newspaper.The top article was on Dracula's madness.In London, the young, weak, and more tightly blood bound members of his Kiss were mindless berserkers.London was in chaos.The known resting places had already been set fire to during the daylight hours, killing all those within them, and the humans were fleeing the city.

 _The Harlequin must be on their way to London,_ Asher thought as he skimmed the article for information on the situation within his current country.

In New York, the sane vampires had started resting in the local police precincts weeks ago, when their brethren 'started acting hinky' as per the suggestion of their vampire hunting community.Vampires found resting in other places by the roaming squads of vampire hunters would be assumed to be rampaging until they awoke and proved otherwise.Each night, The Slayer hunted the rampaging vampires through the streets and killed her prey in the old ways with staking, beheading, and fire.Witnesses described The Slayer as both 'inspiring' and 'terrifying.'

The next night, Asher awoke to the headline, 'New York, Quieted?'

The Slayer was brutally efficient.The news stories, each one more detailed and gory than the last, gave eyewitness accounts and a rough timeline of deaths.There was not a single interview from the vampire hunter, however.None of the news sources even knew The Slayer's personal name since, by law, such information was protected until the vampire hunter him or herself gave up that protection.

The next night, the sane among London's Kiss were ordered to rest in the police precincts.Two nights after that, Asher felt the first tendril of true fear that he had felt in centuries.

The Slayer was hunting in London.

Asher and Jean-Claude watched a serious young reporter summarize events.

“Eight nights ago the Master of London, Dracula, unleashed upon Londoners what has been termed an ‘indiscriminate massacre.’”

Images of gory remains and sobbing survivors, safe in the bright light of day, mingled on the television's screen.

“Around the world vampires sired by Dracula also descended into indiscriminate violence.In most cities the local vampire hunters and vampire populations worked together to subdue and either blood bond or execute the offenders.New York City was among those cities with a particularly high concentration of Dracula's line and a Master of the City sired by Dracula himself.

“Four nights ago, The Slayer presented the Master of New York's heart to Police Sergeant Brown and assured the officer that the next in line for mastery of the city seemed sane enough.New York's vampire population has been a model of cooperation since then.

“Three nights ago, New York's remaining vampire hunters, including The Slayer, extended an offer of aid to London's vampire hunting community.It was quickly accepted.This morning they sat in on the Dracula taskforce’s debriefing and strategy session.Unofficial rumors from inside the taskforce indicate that The Slayer promised to kill Dracula first and then hunt any of the remaining vampires who were still afflicted with his madness.”

“A brutal name,” Jean-Claude noted absently, his eyes unfocused.

“A brutal woman,” Asher countered.“She knows enough to kill the Master of the City first.That speaks of experience.And someone to name her.”

“While many scoffed at her plan as being suicidal, The Slayer was unwilling to compromise.At sunset, she ventured out alone into London's hardest hit streets, reportedly armed with stakes, crosses, and a sword.At 1:51 a.m. one hundred and thirty-seven vampires simply dropped dead wherever they stood with no signs of external trauma.”The screen rapidly flashed through images of dead vampires, most spattered with gore, collapsed on the pavement.“Reports are starting to filter in about those others, at home and abroad, who also dropped dead at roughly the same time as The Slayer killed the Master of London, Dracula.To be safe the deceased vampires' heads and hearts are being taken even as we speak.The bodies, heads, and hearts will be separated, burned, and the ashes spread over running water.It will be 9:00 a.m. soon and already The Slayer has the highest kill count in Britain.”

Jean-Claude nodded and stood.“We must make inquiries among our Kiss and then perhaps among our allies.”

"As you wish, Jean-Claude."

They spent the rest of the night calming Jean-Claude’s followers, making enquiries about a vampire hunter known as The Slayer and dancing attendance on Anita who seemed to be experiencing a distressing mixture of grudging respect, fiercely denied jealousy, and even more fiercely denied competitiveness.

 _I hope Buffy is well,_ Asher thought as he prepared for sunrise. _Tomorrow she should have time to talk.Hopefully, she will come home soon.Even though all is not well here, I am too selfish to withstand her complete absence for much longer._

The next night, Asher awoke fiercely hungry to find a potted sunflower on his nightstand.Despite his raging thirst, Asher first read the typed card propped up against the pot.

_“Dear Asher, I know we've both been really busy lately.Want to go out to dinner sometime after things settle down?I’ll call you later this week._

_Yours, Buffy Summers.”_

Asher smiled, brushed his fingertips against the sunflower’s bright petals, and got out of bed.

 

 

When masters began calling their children home, fighting erupted in a couple of nearby territories.

“What will we do?” Asher asked.

“Allow the children of the hardest hit cities to go home, of course,” Jean-Claude replied.“For a price.”

“And call our own here?”

Jean-Claude nodded and sighed.“Ma petite will be difficult about this.”

Asher snorted.“ _Gretchen_ will be difficult about it.”Jean-Claude winced.Asher gently touched Jean-Claude’s shoulder.“It was not your fault.”

“I chose to do that to her.I swore that I would never do anything like that to anyone I had power over.Not after–” Jean-Claude shook his head.“It was my fault.”

“It was Anita’s fault too.She and Richard deserve some of the blame.”

Jean-Claude shook his head.“Asher, it was my choice.”

“You had no other choice but to sacrifice the one for the many.”

“Asher!”

“She can be at fault without losing your love.”

“Asher!”The skin of Jean-Claude’s face was tight.He closed his blazing eyes.“Please.”

Asher sighed.“I will begin fielding the calls.Whom shall we keep regardless and whom do we want to send away at the first opportunity?”

It was the next night, in the middle of his endless rounds of negotiations, that Buffy finally called.

“When will you be back?” he demanded.

Buffy laughed, delighted but clearly exhausted.“Soon.I need to sleep for a few days before I leave.”

“Sleep?Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

“Too busy.I was in the middle of some very complex… negotiations.”

There was something slippery about the way that she said that last word; not a lie but very close to it.It was a very clever euphemism.

She yawned.Her voice dropped to a whisper.“I’ve missed you, Asher.Tell me a bedtime story.”

Asher hesitated.“About what?”

“About you.”

In spite of himself, Asher smiled.“As you wish.”

She called to ask for a bedtime story the next night too.The night after that, she called to ask for a story and to tell him that she would be home in two more days.

Asher smiled at the empty room.“I have missed you.”

_I love you._

“I’ve missed you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	10. Asher only read love poetry when he was in love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

  
**#089. Exclamation**

“Jason, could you–”

“Sorry Anita, I can’t!”Asher glared at Jason, impatient and nervous.Jason hurried across the room toward him.“I’m going with Asher to pick up Buffy.Someone has to drive.”

Jean-Claude, who was eyeing Asher’s new clothes, raised his eyebrows and smiled at Asher.Asher grinned back.

“Buffy can’t drive?”Outrage and irritation made Anita’s exclamation sharp.

Jason giggled.“It’s more like it’s safer for everyone if she doesn’t.”

“We are going to miss her flight.She’ll think I forgot her.”

Jason rolled his eyes but trooped out of the room after Asher.“Her flight won’t land for another three hours!”

“It may come early.”

“Or late.”

“You are very irritating, mon ami.”

Jason grinned up at the taller vampire.“And you get to spend hours with me.”

“My good fortune.”

Three and a half hours later Asher was attacked by a small, blond whirlwind.Slim arms wrapped crushingly tight around his waist.Asher hugged her back just as fiercely.

“I missed you so much!”Asher exclaimed in his native tongue between ferocious kisses.

"I missed you too!"Buffy promised, also in French."So, so much!"

Their reunion continued until Jason wolf-whistled.Then Buffy broke off kissing Asher to stick her tongue out at Jason.

“You’re just jealous!”

“Damn straight.I want some woman to greet me like that.”

Asher laughed, low and only partially amused.“You are jealous of me?”

“I want to be where you are so yeah, I’m jealous.”

Buffy grinned.“I’ll find a nice girl for you.Someone smart.”

“Er… I’m not really that bright.”

Buffy’s grin widened.“I know.She’s going to have to take care of you.”

“Hey!”

Asher laughed.

“Hey!You’re wearing that shirt I liked!” Buffy exclaimed.Asher felt himself puff up, his ego fed by the look in Buffy's eyes.“And new pants.I like it.A lot.”

Asher grinned.

"Gonna show him how much?" Jason asked.

"Voyeur," Buffy accused.

"Only when I can get away with it," Jason said cheerfully.

“Speaking of getting away,” Buffy began, pasting on her most winsome smile.Even though he knew it was a trick, Asher was willing to do whatever she asked to keep her smile.“We aren't going to be able to go anywhere unless my two big, strong men help me with my luggage.”

“Sure.No problem.”Jason said expansively.“How bad can it be?”

Buffy smirked.

 

 

**#083. Picture**

“Eight bags?You needed eight bags for a month-long trip?”

No one, not even Jean-Claude, traveled with that much junk!

“Oh no, I only had a single bag when I left.I was lucky enough to get a bit of shopping in.”

Jason gaped.

“I work hard to play hard?” Buffy offered apologetically.

Jason eyed Asher’s petite blonde girlfriend.He felt nothing but disbelief.

“Never mind," he finally said."I’ll go get a couple of carts.”

Buffy snuggled into Asher’s side.

“We’ll be right here!”She promised then turned to Asher and murmured, “I got you a few things.”

Old vampires were never particularly expressive.In fact, they looked like mannequins most of the time.As he turned away, Jason glimpsed Asher smiling at Buffy.It was radiant.

As he waited, paid for, and dragged a couple of carts across the airport terminal, Jason discreetly observed the couple.Buffy, small and very tan against Asher's long, pale build, held hands with Asher and curled her free arm around his waist.She leaned against him and pressed kisses into his arm, his shoulder, his scarred cheek, his mouth.Her easy affection and confidence encouraged Asher to be brave.An arm around her shoulders and her hand clasped in his, Asher whispered in Buffy's ear, nibbled her throat, and dotted kisses everywhere that he could reach.

 _She treats him the way that he needs to be treated,_ Jason decided. _And in return, Asher's confident and affectionate.He takes risks that he wouldn't normally take.And he plans things._

Jason could like her for that alone.

_But it certainly doesn’t hurt that she's funny as hell._

He got back to the couple in time to hear Buffy declare, “We’ll make Jason watch them.”

“Make him watch what?” asked Jason.

“My bags while Asher and I do the picture booth.”She beamed at the cheap, plastic booth.“I love those things!”

“Cool, but could you help me load up the bags first, Superwoman?”

“Sissy,” she teased, even as she started heaving bags onto one of the carts.

At the booth, Buffy put in double the correct amount of change.

“One for Asher and one for me!”

Then she and Asher slipped into the booth.

Jason added some of his own money so that there would be three sets of photographs.He listened to the giggling and the kisses and smiled.

_And one for Jean-Claude._

 

 

**#091. Examine**

It was difficult to find the right moment to quietly slip his prize to Jean-Claude.

Getting rid of Buffy and Asher was easy enough, if Jason discounted the backbreaking labor that went into lugging those miserable suitcases up all of those flights of stairs.

Buffy insisted on helping.Asher insisted on giving her the lightest bags.Jason insisted that she should donate her new wardrobe to the Good Will and not drag anything up the stairs.

Buffy smacked him for that suggestion.

When Jason moved to leave, Asher stayed with Buffy in the threshold to her apartment.He had his arms wrapped around her waist and the distinct air of a man who planned to keep his lover in arm's reach for the foreseeable future.

Buffy waved at Jason.“Bye, Jason.”

“Asher... Asher needs a ride home.”

Buffy smirked.“I’ll definitely give him a ride.”

_Oh boy..._

Behind her back, Asher blanched, probably for some reason that would only make sense to a vampire.For himself, Jason was beginning to feel a bit green around the edges.

He grinned and gave the couple a small wave.“Later.”

So the deck was theoretically clear, except for Anita who should not have been a problem since she rarely visited the circus... unless she sensed the impending loss of one of her vampires.Anita was waiting with Jean-Claude in the main sitting room when Jason returned to the Circus of the Damned.She looked disappointed and even a bit pissed when only Jason walked into the room.

“Where are they?”

“Buffy’s apartment.”

“Why would they–” When Jason waggled his eyebrows at her, Anita cut herself off.She blushed a fiery red.“So he can... with her?”

“I didn’t ask.She said get lost, he stayed where he was, and I left.”

“Jason!How is he supposed to get back here?”

“He can _fly,_ Anita.”Jason pointed out.Anita did not look comforted by that knowledge.If anything, she looked like she might storm across town and interrupt Buffy's, ah, _ride._ “Anita, relax.Asher’s an old man.He can take care of himself.”

“But he’s so… fragile.”

“Buffy will take very good care of him.”

Anita stared at Jason.Her mouth turned down.For the rest of the night, Anita required vast amounts of attention from her men, particularly Jean-Claude.

It was nearly sunrise before Jason got Jean-Claude alone.

Jean-Claude was at least four or five hundred years old but he was still afraid to die alone in the morning, not that he would ever admit it.Jason, who always happened to be in Jean-Claude's room around sunrise, took his employer’s hand.

“I got something for you at the airport,” Jason said as he fished the strip of images out of his wallet and passed it to Jean-Claude’s free hand.

Jason watched Jean-Claude’s face as he examined the images.He knew what Jean-Claude would see – both of them smiling with Buffy sitting in Asher’s lap as the crown of her head pressed into his cheek, the pair of them facing each other with Asher saying something and Buffy smiling as she put bunny ears on him, Buffy kissing Asher as she pressed him into the side of the booth, another kiss this time with his scars partially visible beneath her small hand and his tangled hair, and the last one blurred as he pressed her toward the opposite side of the booth.

Jean-Claude smiled wistfully.He held the strip of cheap photos as if they were something precious and delicate.

“They seem very happy, non?”

“They _were_ very happy.And she even noticed his clothes.”Jason groaned.“Speaking of clothes, she packs even heavier than you do.Eight enormous suitcases!”

Jean-Claude’s smile wavered.“She will not be allowing him to dress her, then.”

Jason laughed.“No.She might even try to dress him from time to time.”

Jean-Claude turned his face away from Jason.He moved the pictures so that he could continue examining them, though.“Do you think he loves her?”

“Yes.Desperately.”

“Do you think that she loves him?”

Jason hesitated.

“Maybe.Probably.I don’t know her very well but she seems happy when they’re together.”

“I think so too.I'm glad.Asher very much needs happiness in his life.”

Jean-Claude shuddered.Automatically, he looked at the eastern wall of his room and shivered.

“Oh,” he murmured, as his grip on Jason’s hand tightened.Jean-Claude dropped the strip.A small gasp, a harsh full body shudder, the flutter of his too long eyelashes, and Jean-Claude was dead for the day.

Jason tucked Jean-Claude in and put the strip of photos under Jean-Claude’s pillow where they would be safe from Anita.

Then he went to check on Asher.

Asher’s room and coffin were empty.He had never made it home.

Jason sighed.

_Anita's going to have a fit._

 

 

**#042. Time Travel**

Asher had taken off from work both the night that Buffy was to return on and the one after that in honor of Buffy's return.That first night, Asher had cooked for Buffy while she bathed and unpacked.They had conversed during her meal and snuggled on the couch together afterwards.

"Perhaps we can stay in tonight?" Asher asked as Buffy helped him to top a homemade pizza.He had made the bread dough the previous night."We could watch a movie."

"I have just the movie," she promised and popped a slice of pepperoni into her mouth.Her smirk sent a lovely shiver through Asher.

The movie that Buffy selected featured a time traveling detective who fought the apocalypse, especially the zombie-portions of it.Asher had assumed that meant there would be plot, historically accurate costumes, and logic.Instead the movie was all explosions, blazing guns, and sex.It was... boring.

The best part was that Buffy was snuggled against his side, her arm resting across his waist.(Could she feel the scars, even through his layers?)She kept up a steady commentary during the movie, remarking on everything from their poor fashion choices to the reality of rocket launchers to their combat style.

By the middle of the movie, Asher was a nervous wreck.Jason had given him the impression that Americans often engaged in heavy petting during boring movies and Asher had every intention of meeting Buffy's expectations... but when was Asher supposed to distract her with his kisses?

One moment, Asher was quietly panicking and the next he had a lap full of wriggling Buffy.She carded her fingers through his hair and touched his face, teasingly stroked her clever tongue against his, and filled his lungs with her breathy little noises.

During the movie's credits, Asher discovered that he had somehow ended up half naked.Buffy, who was wearing his dress shirt and none of her own clothes, leaned back and blew a bubble with _his_ gum.

“Mmmm… cinnamon.Yummy.”

Grinning, Asher leaned in to recapture his gum.

Much later, he carried Buffy to bed.

 

 

When Asher got home just after sunset the next night, he found Jean-Claude and Anita waiting for him in his room.Jean-Claude was sitting in Asher's wing-backed reading chair, reading Asher's copy of Shakespeare's sonnets.Anita was pacing and muttering to herself.

When he sent an inquiring look to Jean-Claude, the other lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug.His expression was very, very bland.Apparently, the unwarranted breach in etiquette was Anita's idea.

Jean-Claude lifted the book of sonnets ever so slightly.Asher tilted his head to the side and smiled ever so faintly because Asher only read love poetry when he was in love.Jean-Claude's eyes flashed dark blue fire, his skin flushed pink, and his lovely face softened.His small smile was genuine and beautiful.

Asher smiled back.

"It's not that we don't want you to be happy!" Anita blurted, breaking the moment with her harsh rush of words.Asher looked to Anita in time to see her spin to face him."Because we do!You deserve to be happy.But Asher, we don't know anything about this woman!"

Asher stared at her.

"Why would you need to?My private affairs are none of your concern, Anita."

"Because the things that you do affect us!You're Jean-Claude's number two.That means that your weaknesses are our weaknesses."

"Ma petite became curious when you began to see one person repeatedly.Your recent declarations of love, however, have concerned her... on your behalf, naturally."

"I've always seen Buffy," Asher said.And ever-attentive Jean-Claude must have heard what Asher meant because his eyebrows jumped.A moment later, he looked unbearably smug.He probably credited Asher's current happiness to his own matchmaking skills."There was never anyone else."

"All the more reason for us to meet her," Anita said grimly.She grimaced."Who names their kid Buffy, anyway?I bet she's some blonde socialite with more money than good sense."

"She is an athlete," Asher said tightly."But yes, she is blonde.A great many people are, including me."

"Asher!You aren't _blond!"_ Anita hurried to assure him."Your hair is _golden!"_

"I _am_ blond, Anita.I have always enjoyed it."

"Anyway, I was thinking that we could get together on Thursday.I have the night off."

"I'll have to ask Buffy if it fits into her schedule."

When Anita pressed her lips into a thin white line, Jean-Claude smoothly interjected.

"That sounds lovely, my friend.We look forward to her response."

Unfortunately, Thursday was not a good night for Buffy to attend.

"I'm sorry, Asher, but I've got to study," Buffy said. "I've got an online test on Friday."

"That is understandable," Asher soothed."What day is good for you, my love?"

Buffy, who was consulting her date book, pinked and smiled ever so slightly, as she usually did when he used such endearments.

"How about next Tuesday?But late, closer to dawn if possible.I'd like to stay at the rink as late as I can."

Asher nodded."I shall convey your sentiments."

When he conveyed them, Anita threw up her hands in disgust.

"I've got four raisings that night!I'll be too tired to entertain the ice princess!"Ignoring Asher's warning growl, Anita added, "How about _next_ Thursday?"

Buffy agreed to that but on the night in question, Anita called Jean-Claude to cancel.Since Asher was sitting next to Jean-Claude at the time, Asher could hear the content of her part as well as his.

"I've caught a case," she reported."It's the first time in for-freaking-ever.Anyway, I can't entertain Malibu Barbie tonight.Reschedule for next Thursday?"

Asher growled at the slight against Buffy.Jean-Claude laid his hand over Asher's as he assured Anita that her sentiments would be conveyed to Buffy.When Asher called Buffy, Jean-Claude eavesdropped shamelessly.

"I'm sorry, Asher," Buffy said when he conveyed Anita's message."I'm not available next Thursday night.I'm having a long dinner with Pete."

"It's fine," Asher assured her, savoring the ring of truth in her voice.Jean-Claude arched his eyebrows at Asher who waved his hand in response."I do not expect you to tailor your lifestyle to Anita's schedule."

"Doesn't Anita have any other days off?"

"Wednesday night," Jean-Claude murmured to Asher."But that is date night, usually with Micah and Nathaniel."

"Oh," Buffy said, obviously having heard Jean-Claude through the telephone."Can't she flip-flop the dates?I'm free Wednesday next week."

"I will ask."

When Asher and Buffy hung up, Jean-Claude asked, "Pete?"

"Buffy's mentor," Asher said vaguely as he dialed Anita's phone number.There was no need to mention that Buffy and Pete usually had dinner together before they went to capture or kill something.

Asher conveyed Buffy's request to Anita, if only to save Jean-Claude from having the discord it caused infect his relationship with Anita.With ill-grace Anita said, "Fine.I can be the bigger person.Let's have dinner early then we can debrief after she's gone."

Asher, who had no intention of debating his romance with Anita, made a mental note to fly Buffy to the circus that night.Aloud, he merely agreed with Anita, hung up, and called Buffy to confirm the date.

"That's great!" Buffy enthused."Hey, if you come over early, you can help me pick my outfit."

"We can match," Asher happily agreed."I will be there with bells on."

"Promises, promises," Buffy happily sang.

When Asher hung up, Jean-Claude arched his eyebrows at Asher."Bells?Are they fun?"

"It's a saying from Buffy's home," Asher said with as much dignity as he could muster.He probably ruined it by grinning at Jean-Claude like a fool."They are very fun."

 

 

**#033. Pumpkin**

“Mon coeur, you looked beautiful in the last three dresses.”

Buffy eyed her profile critically in the full length mirror.

“It has to be perfect Asher.They already think I’m going to black widow you.I don’t want to be called a slob on top of that.”

“Black widow me?”

“Do you, kill you, and eat you but not necessarily in that order.Jason still hangs out in the parking lot every time you sleep over.”Buffy frowned at her reflection.“I should change.”

Asher grabbed her hand as she passed by him.

“I like that dress,” he murmured as he pulled her onto the bed beside him.

“It makes my hips look too wide.I look like a pumpkin.”

“I like pumpkins.And I love your hips,” he promised as he nuzzled her throat.“That color makes your skin glow.And it compliments my shirt.”

Buffy laughed breathlessly as she allowed him settle over her.Her knees bracketed his hips and her arms curled around his shoulders.

“So this dress is all about you?”

“Me and your lovely skin,”Asher said as he kissed her throat.“I think I’d like to see more of it.”

“Again it’s all about you.And you’re getting us wrinkled.”

Asher smirked, enjoying her flushed face and pounding heart as he slowly slid his palm up her thigh.

“I can make this all about you.”

Buffy’s eyes lit up.She wriggled with anticipation.

“We’ll be late.”

Asher kissed her collarbone.“One little kiss, Buffy.”

“What about you?"Buffy gasped as she arched into his touch.“We could kiss each other.”

“The whole dinner will be about me.This is about you.”

“I got the better end of the deal.”

“Sshhh,” he soothed.“Otherwise you’ll make us late.”

They were twenty minutes late to dinner.

 

 

**#088. Ring**

“Hey Billie Jean!”

Jean-Claude winced.“You are late.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to give me a secret decoder ring?”

Jason grinned.“You’re wrinkled.”

“We are not!We changed!” Buffy blurted and then paused.Her face went hot as realization caught up with her big mouth.“Damn.”

The dining room was cavernous.The long table and the chairs set along its length looked tiny in it.

Jean-Claude sat at the head of the table.Asher sat to his right and a scowling, dark-haired woman sat to Jean-Claude's left.If her lipstick was three shades brighter and her hair was dyed blonde, Buffy would have sworn that she was being pouted at by Glory. Buffy sat at Asher’s right and Richard sat to her right.The rest of the seats were filled by pretty were-animal men that Buffy did not recognize, save for Jason who grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Buffy wished that he was sitting closer to her.

Jean-Claude made introductions between Buffy and everyone else.Only the other woman's name caught Buffy's attention.

"The vampire hunter?" Buffy asked, more to be polite than anything else.

Anita scowled.Since the woman seemed incapable of going three months without having her picture put in the newspaper, Buffy was uncertain why she expected to be unrecognizable.

"Yes," Anita said and then glared at Buffy as if she expected some sort of argument.Buffy had no intention of fighting Anita for the honor of being Anita Blake... or Glory.

"That's cool," Buffy said as a server put a variety of tasty looking appetizer things on her plate."Hey, what do you think about that Federal Marshals bill in congress?"

Anita had many thoughts on the topic, most of them intractable and condescending.None of them matched Buffy's opinions at all.

"I think everyone should have to go to marshal-camp, no matter how many kills they have under their belts," Buffy said as she nibbled on a cracker covered in grey paste.It looked disgusting but it tasted delicious."Everyone could always do with a little more training, right?"

A lazy, unprepared Slayer was most often a soon-to-be-dead Slayer.Buffy had told her congressional representatives that too.

Anita, who had apparently never trained under someone like Giles or Merrick, disagreed.Vehemently.

By the end of Anita's mini-rant, Asher had a very firm grip on Buffy's knee.Buffy would have liked to believe that he was being paranoid but the urge to stab Anita with the butter knife and make her cry was damn near overwhelming.Buffy was beginning to understand why Anita Blake was somewhat respected but generally disliked in their professional circles.

"Not that I'd expect _you_ to understand," Anita sneered."What is it that you do, anyway?Asher's never said.”

“I’m a college student.”

Anita's lip curled.She shot Asher a disgusted look."Cradle robbing, Asher?"

He scowled back."When you are as old as Jean-Claude and I are, there is little else."

Buffy, who was in the middle of savoring a buttery little confection, choked on a laugh.

Asher's scowl melted away.He grinned at Buffy and helpfully whacked her on the back.

“What are you majoring in?” Richard asked before Anita could regroup.

“Um… I’m not sure.Maybe psychology.I like it, anyway.”

"Buffy is on her university's ice skating, fencing, and gymnastics teams," Asher added.He looked at Buffy fondly.Buffy beamed and gently squeezed Asher's hand.He turned his hand over so that they were holding hands under the table."She has qualified for the Olympic tryouts in all three areas.”

“That's most admirable," Jean-Claude said.

"It's fantastic,” Richard corrected."Good luck!"

"And congratulations!" Jason called down the length of the table, not even pretending that he was not abusing his wolfy powers to eavesdrop.

Buffy laughed.

 

 

**#098. Club**

"Thanks!I'm very excited!I've got to keep practicing if I'm going to be at the top of my game."

"I was never much for actual combat," Asher said, "But Jean-Claude is an excellent swordsman.Perhaps if you ask nicely, he will practice with you."

Anita twitched and scowled, her right hand groping at her left boob as if she was feeling around for a missing weapon, perhaps a gun.For herself, Buffy was looking at Jean-Claude with much more interest.

Jean-Claude’s eyes darted to Anita then Asher as he inclined his head.“I had some small skill.Unfortunately, I have not picked up a sword in decades.”

Buffy grinned.“I’d still love to practice with you sometime.”

Even if he sucked, it would be nice to practice against someone strong, fast, and durable.

“Is Asher the first vampire you’ve ever dated?” Anita asked abruptly.

“Was Jean-Claude your first lover?” Buffy asked bluntly.

Anita gaped then flushed and snarled, "Mind your own damn business!"

"I will if you will," Buffy said.When Anita started groping at her left boob _again,_ Buffy turned toward Richard."So, uh, tell us about you.Anything would be good right now."

Richard laughed.The look he sent Anita was pure spite.Judging by that, and the way Asher's hand tightened on hers, Buffy suspected that she had stepped in it _again._

 _These people are touchier than a Polgara Demon!_ Buffy thought as she squeezed Asher's hand in what she hoped was a reassuring fashion.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Anita seemed determined to keep a conversation going with Richard.It ranged from trading spiteful little in-comments to allegations that there were not enough werewolves donating time to the shifter coalition (whatever that was) even though the werewolves consumed the majority of the coalition's resources to accusations that Anita was scaring off all of Richard's potential lupa (again, whatever they were.)

Buffy kept her head down and steadily consumed whatever was put in front of her.It all tasted pretty fantastic.Even more fantastic was the way that Asher leaned close and whispered in her ear about the food and the history behind the in-fighting and funny stories about Jean-Claude from about four hundred years ago.The fact that he was doing it all _in French_ only made Buffy hotter.Of course, Asher could read the dictionary in any language and Buffy would probably find that hot too.And he knew it.

 _Phone sex with Asher would be amazing,_ Buffy decided as she helpfully annexed Richard's dessert to her plate.He was too busy arguing with Anita to notice. _But I probably wouldn't be able to hold up my end of it.That would suck.And it's not like I could bite him through the phone lines or anything.I wonder if I know any languages that make him hot?_

“I should go," Buffy announced when she finished her coffee.Richard had stormed out by then.Anita was glaring and cuddling with a couple of were-leopards and Buffy was beginning to feel bad for Jean-Claude."I have a seven-thirty class tomorrow.Waking up isn’t going to be pretty.”

That was a blatant lie.Buffy had no morning classes.

Asher flashed her a smile as he stood.

“We should be going," he agreed.

"We?" Anita asked sharply."I thought that we agreed-"

 _"We_ agreed to nothing," Asher said sharply.

"Asher's my ride," Buffy explained as Asher gently pulled her to her feet.When she finished thanking her host for his hospitality, Anita was glaring at her again.Buffy was too tired (and full) to particularly care about the whys and wherefores of Anita's perpetually bad mood.She was just happy to be leaving with Asher.

They were floating over downtown St. Louis (and Buffy was indulging in that Fairy Princess feeling again) when she thought to ask, "Asher, would you be upset if I said that I didn't want my secret decoder ring anymore?”

“Pardon?”

“For joining your super secret vampire club.Remember?"

Asher tensed."You have decided to dislike Jean-Claude?"

Buffy shook her head."I'm just not cut out for that level of drama, you know?”

Asher relaxed.He even laughed."I understand.But you _do_ like Jean-Claude, yes?"

"Yes."And I really want to duel with him."

Asher pressed a kiss into her hair."He'll like that."

Buffy frowned.

"I don't think so.He said that he hasn't touched a sword in decades.And I think it'd cause problems for him with Anita."

"He lied," Asher said carelessly."Jean-Claude loves fencing.And _everything_ causes problems for him with Anita."

"Still.I don't want them to breakup over me.I want them to breakup because they really hate each other."

Asher laughed.

 

 

**#096. UST**

It took about seventy seconds and a furious flurry of thrusts, parries, and cunning acrobatics for Buffy to know that fencing with Jean-Claude was a terrible idea.He was better than good with a sword.He was passionate.Inventive.Brilliant.Under all of the ugly ruffles, annoying airs, silly foppishness, and calculated sex appeal was someone fierce and savage and ruthless.Stripped of everything, Jean-Claude was a survivor.

That appealed to Buffy, the girl who had outlived so many people and The Slayer who hated useless, weak things, in ways that no other trait could.

Fighting with Jean-Claude reminded Buffy of high school and collapsing organs and apocalypse season.He reminded her of that first, disastrous attempt at college, grudging truces, and the hottest kisses that she had ever experienced until she had given in to wanting Asher.Jean-Claude was the exact opposite of Spike, with his punk sensibilities and wanton destructiveness, but the same sizzling chemistry lay between them when they fought.

Afterwards, when they were both covered in stinging scratches and too tired to keep going for anything less than actual, mortal combat, they lay side-by-side on the enormous mats that carpeted their barren practice room.Buffy lay sprawled out, panting for air and desperate for a good, hard fuck to round out her fight and leave her loose-limbed and sleepy.Next to her, Jean-Claude was trembling and gasping.

When he shifted, the outside of his hand brushing against the curve of her knee, Buffy was on him inside of a blink of the eye, rolling on top of Jean-Claude and kissing him messily.

Jean-Claude kissed Buffy hard, his mouth savage against hers and his hands gripping her tightly to him.When Buffy bit him, striking like a snake and clamping her teeth into his trapezius, Jean-Claude made a sound somewhere between a desperate whimper and a heartfelt groan.His entire body spasmed against her, his arms tightening around her sides, his fingers digging into her back, and his legs tangling with hers.He gasped broken nonsense into her hair and shamelessly begged her for anything that she was willing to give as she gentled her bite to a hard, bruising suck.

Somewhere between grinding up against her belly and rolled them over so that Buffy was on her back with Jean-Claude over her, Jean-Claude must have remembered who he was rolling around with.He stiffened, cursed, and skittered away from her.His eyes were wild blue fires, his mouth swollen and red, and his frilly shirt half-torn off of him.When Buffy leaned toward him again, the better to tackle him and have her wicked way with him, Jean-Claude held up a hand between them and blurted a string of words at her in French.Some of them even made sense together.His expression was equal parts longing and desperation.

His pleas were like a splash of cold water.

Buffy carefully sat back, trapping her hands underneath her bottom.

"Okay," she said.Her own voice was hoarse and aching with need."Yeah.You're right.We should stop.We're stopping, right this second, and-and I should go.Now."

And, suiting words to deeds, Buffy was out of the impromptu practice room and down the hall in a matter of seconds.She tracked Asher through the labyrinth of hallways and staircases, using her spidey sense and Asher's unique signature to find him.

Buffy breezed past Asher's secretary, burst into his office, and locked the door behind her.Her practice blade landed on his couch and then Buffy was on Asher like a hurricane.She was all raking nails and biting kisses and guttural groans as Asher met her needs again and again.

Afterwards, when she and Asher were snuggled together on his couch and her practice blade lay quivering across one of the visitors' chairs in his office, came the embarrassment.It surfaced from her depths, burning away her drowsy contentment.

Despite everything, Buffy was tempted to simply live with it, call it the price of her recent bout of stupidity, and never, ever admit anything to Asher.

_But it's wrong to keep secrets like this.You aren't Riley.And Jean-Claude isn't some trashy suck girl._

"I am _such_ a ho-bag," Buffy groaned, the embarrassment making the first words easy.She hid her face against the smooth side of Asher's chest."Asher, I'm so, so sorry.You're never going to forgive me."

"For that?" he asked, sounding pleased and unutterably smug."That was inspired, _mon couer."_

Buffy forced herself to sit up and look Asher in the face.He smiled up at her, his face open and trusting and his hair a tousled golden halo around his pale head, and reached up to play with her hair.His trust, slowly coaxed from him and demonstrated in his bare face and chest, hurt Buffy.

_How could I do this to him?_

"I jumped Jean-Claude's bones," Buffy told him, hating herself for the way that she was going to hurt him.Asher stiffened against her and the fingers in her hair faltered."Or I tried to.We kissed.And I bit him.And I practically tore his shirt off of him."The flicker of a frown creased Asher's forehead and Buffy rushed to add, "But nothing else happened!And I swear that I've never done anything like this before!I don't cheat!It's happened to me and I know how awful it is and-"

"And none of this was your fault," Asher said, swiftly interrupting Buffy.His large hand cupped the back of her head."You did not cheat.And your arousal, your draw to Jean, was not your fault."

"Of course it was my fault! _I rolled on top of him and kissed him!"_

"Non, my darling," Asher said tenderly.He halfway sat up, propping himself up on one elbow and leaving the other hand where it was, gently cupping the base of Buffy's skull."Jean-Claude has our line's lust.It was no one's fault, except perhaps his own, that you mauled him a bit."

"How is it his fault?" Buffy demanded, her voice shrill and hard."And why aren't you mad at me?I'd be _furious_ if you cheated on me!I'd yell at you!I'd dump you!"

Asher flinched."If I cheated with Jean-Claude?"

"With _anyone!"_

Asher's smile was blinding and his laughter was pure joy.Buffy flinched, bewildered.For once, she wished that she could feel his voice.

"Asher?"

He gently tugged her down to him, hugging her so tightly that Buffy could barely breathe.Buffy hugged him back as best she could.

"I have waited such a very long time to hear that, my love."

"But I cheated on you with Jean-Claude.I don't understand."

"I know," he said, his voice rumbling in her ear."I shall explain.And you shall understand why I am not angry with you."

Buffy longed to shut up and accept Asher's forgiveness before he changed his mind.Instead she forced herself to say, "It wasn't his fault."

"I... do not blame Jean-Claude either," Asher said after a brief hesitation."Not under the current circumstances."

Buffy sighed, her body limp with relief and her eyes misty from it."Thank you, Asher."

"While I could forgive you anything, _mon couer,_ in this instance there is truly nothing to forgive.Let me explain."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	11. "You're just naked."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#058. Villain**

Buffy _wanted_ to hold it against Jean-Claude for having the creepiest power that she had ever heard of, even in passing.The problem was that she had forgiven other people who had done much worse things to her in the past.

Eventually.

So she was probably going to forgive Jean-Claude too.And sooner, rather than later, with the way Jean-Claude kept coming up to her, saying something meaningless, and gliding away to ruthlessly hassle whatever unfortunate minion happened to be nearest.

Asher was convinced that Jean-Claude was trying to apologize to her.

"It's hard for him when he actually means it," Asher added, looking at Buffy in that way that meant he was about two seconds away from pleading with her to forgive Jean-Claude.Again.

"Heartfelt apologizes are of the good," Buffy said, trying to head Asher off."Homemade 'I'm Sorry' cookies - or donuts - are better."

"Donuts?" Asher asked hopefully.

"'I'm Sorry' donuts," Buffy corrected, even though her forgiveness was in no way dependent on tasty baked goods."Homemade baked goods are best, though."

Asher nodded seriously, as if he was making mental notes which could only be of the good since the man was a fantastic cook.If Buffy ever met up with Julianna in the afterlife, she was totally going to thank the woman for teaching Asher to cook.And then Buffy was going to try to scam some homemade goodness off of Julianna for herself.

The problem with being halfway to forgiving Jean-Claude was that Buffy had not even begun to forgive _herself_ for falling for Jean-Claude's lusty mind tricks or pheromones or however the hell his power worked.And, if prior experience had taught Buffy anything, it was that forgiving herself was always the hardest part.

Two days later, when she was mostly over Jean-Claude's incubus powers and was beginning to consider the question of whether or not there had been any way for her to have combated that sudden, roaring _need_ to get into Jean-Claude's pants (or get him out of them), someone knocked at Buffy's door.Her spidey sense said it was a vampire and not Asher.Buffy was willing to bet that it was Jean-Claude.

It was.

It was like looking up into the face of a beautiful doll.

"Hi," Buffy said, wondering what it meant when Jean-Claude wore a ruffled blue pirate shirt, tight black pants, and tall leather boots.Asher always said that Jean-Claude's color and clothing choices meant things.It was easier to figure out what those things might be when Asher was nearby to tell her.

Jean-Claude held out an honest to goodness picnic basket, woven from pale wicker, and said, "I have brought you 'I'm Sorry' croissants.And jam, butter, and white wine to eat them with."

The sight of his fingers, gracefully curved around the basket's handle, was very odd to Buffy.She admired the sight for a moment then took a step back and said, "Come in, Jean-Claude."

Jean-Claude's eyebrows arched.He looked surprised to be invited into her home.He came in, anyway.

Buffy watched his dark blue eyes skim over her apartment, lingering on the things that Asher had brought over, and smiled when his nose wrinkled.Asher had done the exact same thing the very first time that he had been invited into her apartment.And yeah, her apartment was crappy but no one looked twice at a college student living in a crappy apartment who took odd jobs to make ends meet.People would have questions about a college student who lived in a penthouse and took mysterious jobs to make the rent (among other things.)

Giles had taught Buffy a lot of important things but it was Merrick who had taught Buffy how to blend in and use people's preconceptions against them.

"Am I forgiven?" Jean-Claude demanded, his attention returning to Buffy."I made you apology baked goods."

"Hold on a second, buster," Buffy said as she snaked a hand under the lacy white cloth and into the basket that Jean-Claude was holding.She broke off a bit of warm croissant.When Buffy popped the morsel in her mouth, it was buttery, flakey, and _perfect._ Buffy may have moaned just a little, tiny bit.

"Asher made those," Buffy said as she closed the door behind Jean-Claude and took the basket from him."They don't have that bitter guilty aftertaste to them.And yes.I forgave you yesterday.Or maybe the day before.Anyway, I'm not angry with you anymore."

"Then why..." Jean-Claude's eyes narrowed.He sounded half amused and half accusing when he said, "You invented 'I'm Sorry' baked goods to persuade Asher to bake for you."

"Hey, 'I'm Sorry' cookies are a real thing," Buffy disagreed."So are 'I'm Sorry' donuts.But I've forgiven people for a lot more on a lot less in the past."

"I have heard that there is nothing so terrible as to be in the grips of my need," Jean-Claude said with absolutely no inflection in his voice."It temporarily manufactures emotions which do not exist in order to satisfy itself."

Buffy snorted.

"Like that's the first time that's ever happened to me. And you stopped us.That's new." Jean-Claude arched his eyebrows at her.Buffy ignored it."C'mon, I want to eat these before they get cold."

Jean-Claude obediently followed Buffy into the living room.He careful arranged himself on the far side of her beat up secondhand couch.Even though he was sitting on it, Jean-Claude looked at the couch as if something could crawl out of it at any minute.

"As far as super powers go," Buffy said as she explored the contents of the basket, "being an incubus sounds like it sucks hardcore, pun intended.Do you ever wish that you had gotten something a little more... upfront?Like, I don't know, mystical fire powers or blue hair?"

Buffy flashed him a friendly smile and then bit into her treat and moaned again.It was _that_ good.

"I shall tell Asher that you enjoyed his baked goods," Jean-Claude said with real amusement lining his voice.Buffy wondered if Jean-Claude's voice was supposed to be doing a sexy trick.

"He should've been born a chef instead of a prince."

Jean-Claude snorted.

"He is royalty through and through.Asher's food only tastes good because he loves you.Otherwise, he would never bother to put any effort into it."

Buffy grinned, liking that even though Jean-Claude made it sound like a flaw."Driven by love, huh?"

"Any strong emotion," Jean-Claude quietly corrected."Did you know that he came to this country for hate?He hated me across centuries and oceans and the birth of nations.He came to kill my human servant because he blamed me for the loss of his own."

"Was it your fault?" Buffy asked around another bite of croissant.This one was smeared with jam.She was insanely curious.Asher rarely talked about that part of his life.

"Perhaps."

Buffy frowned, aching for the guilt in Jean-Claude's voice.She knew what it felt like to fail someone important to you.She touched the back of Jean-Claude's hand with her fingertips.

"You'll do better next time," Buffy said, thinking of Merrick and Giles and Dawn.

Jean-Claude looked surprised... and pained.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, drawing back into the corner of the couch.His hand slid out from underneath hers.

"Because you'd do anything not to feel that way again," Buffy said, honestly."It'll _make_ you strong enough and fast enough and smart enough to get the job done, even if you really aren't."

Silence settled between them.Jean-Claude studied her across it.Buffy, pretending to ignore him, wolfed down Asher's tribute.

"Earlier, you said that you had already forgiven... my lapse," Jean-Claude finally said."Why?"

"Well..." Buffy drawled, trying to get her thoughts together.As a Slayer and the former guardian of one of the most active supernatural hotspots in her world, she had very firm, if not exactly mainstream, opinions regarding what could be overlooked and what was an offense worthy of execution.It limited the type of warrants that she was willing to enforce with the full range of her abilities."As far as I know, you've never tried to murder or turn me, drive anyone mad, murdered anyone else or tried to end the world.And you've never tried to get anyone else to do those things, again as far as I know.So that's in your favor.And... you stopped us even though I might never have guessed that I was... under your influence.And Asher says that you need it, that you've been starving yourself because Anita won't let you feed from her and doesn't approve of you feeding from anyone else.He said that stopping yourself actually hurt you, physically and emotionally."

"Asher has said a great many things," Jean-Claude said quietly.

Buffy shrugged."He wanted to make sure that I really got what was going on with you, I guess."

She wondered if Asher had thought she was tempted to go stake Jean-Claude and burn up the evidence.For awhile in there, Asher would have been right.

"And that was all it took to secure your forgiveness?" Jean-Claude asked quietly."Understanding?"

"Well... I needed to process it, obviously.And vent and think violent, vengeful thoughts.But it's hardly the worst thing that's ever happened to me, especially accidentally," Buffy said, thinking of Xander's rape attempt, the various screwed up spells that he and Willow had tried over the years, fucking like weasels with Riley in a cursed frat house, and that scum-sucker Dracula.And that was only the outermost edge of the whole Sunnydale Experience.Honestly, Buffy was something of an expert in dealing with the fallout from nonconsensual experiences."So I got over it.Honestly, having super lusty powers sounds like it hurts you as much as it hurts anyone else but over and over again."

"That... is not the entire truth," Jean-Claude said quietly."Normally, I would not think to confront a lady regarding her innermost feelings but I do not want this unfortunate incident to taint your relationship with Asher."

"Taint it?How?"

"You are not 'over it,'" Jean-Claude said, deliberately leaning forward, toward Buffy."I could taste the edge of a lie in your words."

Buffy scowled."I hate it when you vampire-types do that."

The ghost of something resembling a smile touched Jean-Claude's mouth.

"Ma petite says the exact same thing.Nevertheless, I must persevere for Asher's sake.I will not come between him and happiness."

 _Again,_ hung in the air between them.

"I'm not holding your personal weirdness against Asher," Buffy said brusquely, more to banish what hung unsaid between them than because she wanted to share.

"No... you are not..." Jean-Claude drawled thoughtfully."Against yourself then?"

"Of course not," Buffy lied.Never mind that she had been taken in by the exact same trick _twice._ Jean-Claude was even better at it than Dracula was.

Jean-Claude's eyes narrowed."It was not your fault.It was mine.I lost control of myself."

"Of course it was."

"I am four-hundred and thirty-seven years old.I am a master vampire and, moreover, the Master of this City.If anyone should have control, it is me."

"You're definitely old enough."

Jean-Claude's hands seized her shoulders.Buffy resisted the impulse to break his elbows and punch him over the arm of her couch.

"Do not mouth words that you do not mean at me.You do not blame me because you blame yourself.That is not acceptable.There was nothing that you could have done under the circumstances."

Buffy glared at Jean-Claude.

"Asher's forgiven us.He forgave us both right away without even having to think about it.And I've forgiven you.The rest of it, you can't change.I'll either get over this and forgive myself or I won't but either way, you can't change my feelings.Well, you can but not the way that you want to.Let this go, Jean-Claude, because after this it's not going to go any way that you want it to."

Jean-Claude slowly released Buffy's shoulders.He sat back.

"I see.Very well.After this last thing, it will be as you wish."

"What last thing?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"I have already explained what happened to _ma petite_ and apologized.Since she now shares a sliver of my hunger, she had eventually found it within herself to forgive my lapse.But it would go very poorly with all of us were she to discover _who_ I nearly rolled.She is content to believe it to have been a nameless, faceless club patron who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.For her to discover it was someone that she knows would only make things... complicated and unpleasant.She would not rest until you were gone from our lives, one way or the other, and Asher would not give you up."

"Geez, you make her sound like a super villain or your abusive boyfriend or something.And what about what I want?" Buffy asked dryly even though she had better things to do than squabble with Anita."Maybe I want to make amends to her for cheating on her with her boyfriend, for nearly fucking his brains out.I'm not afraid of Anita or her temper or her guns."

Jean-Claude's expression was unfriendly.

"There is no need to make this affair more complicated and dramatic than it is.I will beg you if I must. _Please_ do not take _ma petite's_ contentment away from her."

Buffy sighed."Go away, Jean-Claude.I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Surprisingly, he went.

 

 

**#060 Lake**

Jean-Claude had left when Buffy asked him to but he came back again and again and again.

"Why're you doing this?" Buffy asked.She had called Jean-Claude after a box containing three new pairs of leather pants had come in the mail.They were all in her size and had her favorite label on them.

"It seems like you will most probably be part of Asher's life for a very long time," Jean-Claude said. "I would like for us to be on good terms."

"We already are."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone line before Jean-Claude said, "Nevertheless."

Buffy sighed.She was about to tell him again that, although she appreciated his willingness to buy her clothes that she liked in her sizes and from her preferred manufacturers, his groveling was making her uncomfortable when a thought occurred to her.

"If I ask you for one huge favor, will that make us even?"

"What would you like?"

 

 

“I hate July here.It’s so... _sweaty.”_ Buffy twined her arms around Asher's waist and pouted artfully up at him.As always he was delighted and flattered and hopeful that he could live up to her naughty little plan... whatever it was.“Asher, take me away.”

“I cannot go far,” he said with genuine regret.It was painful to fail her even in something so small.“It is difficult for vampires to travel.I am only truly free to move about in Jean-Claude’s territory.But I have some days off coming up.We could do something then.”

“J.C. said that next weekend is a four-day weekend for you and I happened to rent a cabin by this adorable little lake for those exact days! _And_ it’s in J.C.’s territory!”She peered up at him.“I’ll wear that swimsuit you picked out.”

Asher’s mouth went dry.

“You shouldn't arrange our dates with Jean-Claude," he finally said."He is not the one that you will be spiriting away to a remote cabin in the woods.”

_And it hurts him._

"But he was so insistent on making up for losing his control.He was driving me nuts!”She grinned.“He's actually sort of funny when he's trying to be sweet and make amends.And I’m not just talking about what he's willing to be seen wearing in public.”

“Buffy!” Asher chastised, just as she expected him to.He drew his thumb down her cheek in a soft caress.His heart thumped painfully as Buffy’s expression softened.“I’m glad that you see Jean as your dear friend.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.

“As if you had any say in the matter," she scoffed, making Asher grin."Anyway, Jean and I agreed that it would be good for you and me to spend your long weekend on the lake.We could relax, unwind, and maybe go swimming.And Jean-Claude promised to send up snack packs.”

Asher laughed.“How could I ever deny the two of you anything?”

 

 

**#081 Wet**

Three hours ago, Asher had been excited and smug when Buffy had picked him up at the circus.

An hour ago he had been clinging to his seatbelt and the door handle as he thanked everything holy that he was a vampire and therefore unlikely to die in the (very likely) event of an automobile accident.

Half an hour ago, Asher had been indulgently trailing his lover as she inspected their little cabin.

Now his chest hurt and his stomach was rolling.He looked down at her messy heap of clothes then looked to where she was treading water at the end of the dock.He stared at her smiling, expectant face as she shouted encouragement to him.

_Buffy wants me.She rented this cabin.She deliberately put us alone together.My body does not repulse her._

His hands hesitated over his buttons.

“Asher!We’re alone in the middle of the woods!There’s nothing to worry about!”

Asher took a step back, away from the end of the dock, the rocking waves, and the heap of clothing.

“There is a lot of bare skin involved in this activity.I don't feel comfortable with, uh, that.”

It hurt to disappoint her.

Asher turned to head back to the cabin's dubious safety.

The dock shifted as she clambered back onto it.There was the slap of her bare feet against the wood and two cool wet arms slid around his waist.Buffy was a cold, wet weight against his back.

“Asher, I was teasing you.”

Something in him tentatively unclenched.She was not disappointed in him.No one was going to hurt him.And he did not have to strip in public.

It was an effort to remain steady on his rubbery knees.

She pulled her arms from around Asher's waist and moved to stand in front of him.Her wet skin gleamed under the moonlight and her wet hair clung to her neck in dark tendrils.

“I didn’t realize that this was still a big thing for you.Of course you shouldn't do anything that makes you uncomfortable.Okay?"

He nodded silently, ashamed of his weaknesses and need for reassurance.He was over twenty times her age but he needed her strength, her brash conviction that everything was going to be okay.

Buffy shoved him off of the dock, clothes, shoes, and all.The last thing he heard before he hit the water was her laughter.Underwater, Asher grinned.

 

 

**#073 Worship**

Buffy knelt at his hip, her kneecap pressing into the side of his thigh, and held Asher's hand.Her kneecap was terribly warm.So was her hand.The cabin was so warm that Buffy had opened all of the windows and doors, trusting in the screening to keep the insect life outside.

Asher wished that he could stop shivering.

"Ssshh, Asher," Buffy whispered."It's okay.You're okay.You're just naked."

Asher choked on a laugh.It sounded like a sob. _"Just!"_

"We've been naked together before."

"You weren't staring at it those other times!" Asher snapped in French.

"I'm not staring at it this time either," Buffy promised."I'm looking at your hands.They're very pretty."

She brought her other warm hand up and gently, so gently, massaged the hand that she held.

It felt very nice.Asher tried to relax but he was naked and he _hated_ being naked.What if Buffy saw _it?_

 _Except that's sort of the point,_ Asher thought grimly.

When Buffy kissed him, all tenderness and devotion, Asher met her kiss with fierce desperation.She kissed him until his kisses relaxed, gentled against her mouth.Then Buffy pressed her lips to his palm, the heel of his hand, the delicate skin on the inside of his wrist, Asher sighed and helpfully angled his arm away from his body.

Her strong fingers traced warm lines up his arm and warmer kisses fell in their wake up the length of his forearm, over the swell of his bicep, along his collarbones and across his chest.Buffy's hands stroked over both the perfect and the ruined with equal attention, caressing smooth skin, perfect lines, and twisted ribbons of scar tissue and bumped over his ribs.

His lover's attention and gentleness touched Asher far deeper than any physical touch ever could.Under them, Asher shivered and gasped little dry sobs as he burned these moments, her love, into himself.If she never touched him again, Asher would _always_ have this memory of being loved to hold close to his heart.

When Buffy skimmed her fingers across his abdomen and then down the creases between his legs and groin, Asher's chest hitched breathlessly.He mewled silently and arched when brave Buffy lightly curled a hand around his neglected erection and pulled on it as if it was not as scarred and misshapen as the rest of him.Thick ropey scars and lesser crevices snaked across its surface, twisting his phallus to the side and leaving it wretched and useless as well as grotesque.

Asher hated his arousal.

Buffy kissed its leaking tip and then down the side of it as she rubbed her thumb in the exact right place to make Asher squirm.She kissed and fondled his smooth balls then bit him all over: the patch of skin just over his pubic hair, the top of his thigh, the angle of his hip.

Asher moaned helplessly, his knees jerking under her warm hands as Buffy kneaded his thighs and gently pried his legs apart.She lapped a long line up the inside of his thigh, her fine, soft hair tickling over his cock and balls, and bite the inside of his thigh.Asher sucked in an unneeded breath that escaped him in a low moan when Buffy lightly worried her teeth over his balls, her fingers cleverly rubbing the place behind them.

"Buffy, I can't- guh!"Asher wriggled and his legs trembled as Buffy breathed hot, moist air over his straining cock."Please?"

Asher writhed and bucked when Buffy's _mouth_ wrapped around it.

He remember very little about his orgasm except that it was a highly religious experience.And he might have died during it.

It was glorious.

 

 

**#087 Hot**

The hot, sweat-soaked air of the nightclub pressed in on Asher rather like the grinding, gyrating bodies all around him.In front of him, her body so close to his that a sheet of paper would be hard pressed to travel between them, was Buffy.She was dancing with him in that primal way of hers.And for once, he did not feel ashamed or awkward or ugly.Mostly he felt pleased and loved and happy.And really, really aroused.

Over Buffy’s shoulder, a familiar figure caught his eye.

Jean-Claude.

He was watching as Anita and Micah animatedly conversed.Anita appeared to be... happy.She was not even fondling one of her many hidden weapons.As Asher watched, Nathanial appeared with drinks for Micah, Anita, and himself and joined the conversation.Jean-Claude, who was with them but apparently not with them in the most fundamental sense, continued to watch his companions as they drank and laughed and flirted.Asher’s heart ached for his one-time lover who was lonely, even when he was with the one he loved.

Perhaps sensing Asher’s gaze on him, Jean-Claude to scan first the other balconies then the dance floor.

Asher knew when Jean-Claude picked he and Buffy out of the crowd.He wished that he was close enough to study the minute shifts in Jean-Claude's expression and the way he held himself.

Buffy did something particularly inappropriate, even under the current circumstances.Asher gasped, his attention immediately swinging from Jean-Claude to his date.She grinned impishly.

“Buffy,” he groaned as his body ached with his arousal.

“Was she really that hot?”

“He was staring at you,” Asher blurted as Buffy did it again.This time he caught her hands in self defense.

“He?”

“Jean-Claude.”

“He wasn’t.I’m not his type.”Buffy wrinkled her nose.“You look… sad for him.”

“His date is not going well.”

“Oh.”Buffy looked genuinely regretful on Jean-Claude’s behalf.“That always sucks.”

She maneuvered them both around so that all she had to do was turn her head to the right to scan the balcony for Jean-Claude.Asher, watching her expression closely, knew the moment she had found Jean-Claude.Her pupils dilated, her breathing sped up, and her expression softened into that earnest, indulgent expression that she had sometimes worn during the earliest days of their courtship.

Asher’s chest ached with so many confusing and contradictory emotions that he was uncertain as to what he actually felt.Some of it ached, some of it was made from the darkest tar on his soul, and some of it was made of pure love and joy.

“Asher, is everything okay?”

Asher smoothed his expression into a blankly genial one.

“Everything is wonderful,” he lied.“I'm tired of the crowd.Are you ready to go?”

Buffy looked surprised but she nodded.“Sure.I thought you didn't mind."

"I'm not sure.”

As he led her from the dance floor, Asher could not help but notice that last, searching look Buffy tossed over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	12. "Call me Ted."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#077. Annoy**

When the crossdresser cornered her between the shoe sale and the nearest makeup counter, Buffy was somewhat put out.He was pretty in a gothic Lolita sort of way but he clearly had a bad attitude and he was standing between her and a kickass pair of half-off boots.

"I am Narcissus."

"That's wonderful but I'm not interested," Buffy said as she tried to brush past him.

A well-manicured hand clamped onto Buffy's elbow, halting her advance.

"I require a word."

Buffy frowned at the man.

"Look, you're pretty enough but you're not really my type.And the pushy thing is a big world of no."

The man's hand tightened on Buffy's arm to an uncomfortable degree.If she were purely human, he probably would have broken something.

"Don't flatter yourself," he sneered."My interest in you is merely peripheral."

"And my interest in _you_ is nonexistent," Buffy snapped as she twisted her arm, forcing the man to let go.

"I can see why he likes you," the man said with a predatory smile.Someone else might have mistaken it for sweet or conciliatory but Buffy knew better.

"I doubt it," Buffy said, absolutely refusing to ask who he was talking about.

The man barked a laugh."You're feisty but do you really think that you can give him what he needs?"

That was not the sort of question that Buffy could respond to without having more information.

_Damn._

"Give who what?" Buffy asked as she angled her body to keep an eye on the boots.

"Asher!" the man snapped.Buffy had to give it to him, he now had her full attention.He narrowed his eyes at Buffy."Don't you know about... us?"

"Obviously not."

A look of irritation briefly twisted the man's features.It was overlaid with a smile.

_Cree-py!_

"Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot," the man purred as he tried to take Buffy's arm again.This time, Buffy slid away before he could grab her.The man's eyebrows jumped.

"I think we're done here," Buffy said as repressively as possible."Excuse me."

She left, willing to forego even a pair of half-price boots in favor of escaping the crazy.

Two hours later, the crazy found her in the food court.Buffy was not impressed.

"I'm willing to share," the man said as he joined Buffy at her table."I'll just take care of his... less desirable sexual appetites, shall I?"

Buffy scowled."Was everyone around here raised by vengeance demons?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You should!But you don't even have the good sense to be embarrassed!"Buffy jabbed a fry toward Narcissus' face."I'm not going to discuss my boyfriend or our sex life with you."

"Boyfriend?How... quaint."

Buffy clenched her teeth and absolutely positively _refused_ to rise to the bait.

"I admit, I'm surprised that you don't know about Asher's... tastes," the man continued."But it makes sense.Few men want to admit to what they really _need_ to be happy."

"And he needs you?" she asked flatly, having a fairly good idea of where this was heading.

"He needs what I can do for him," Narcissus corrected.His smirk was positively filthy."Or rather, what I can survive him doing to me.Urges that I'm sure he doesn't want to bother you with... especially since you wouldn't survive them."

Buffy felt a tiny spear of apprehension in the region of her heart.She firmed her jaw and glared at the smug were-hyena across from her.

"Again, I'm not discussing this with you.Frankly, I'm not sure why you want to discuss it with me."

"I'd _like_ for us to come to an understanding between us so that we three can be a big happy family.Ideally, we won't need to bother poor Asher with the details."

"There isn't going to be an understanding about Asher between us," Buffy ground out."I don't share my boyfriends."

"Oh.You're one of _those,"_ Narcissus said with genuine regret.The look he ran over Buffy made her itch to punch him."How disappointing.I could have taught you things.I would've made you scream."

Buffy snorted.She rolled her eyes.

"I think I'll survive the not knowing," she said."Is that everything that you wanted to talk to me about?I'm trying to eat my lunch here."

Narcissus wrinkled his nose at Buffy."I don't know what he sees in you."

"My witty banter and strict moisturizing regimen."

"And you're physically very _flexible,_ given what I've heard."

"You're trying to annoy me into hitting you, aren't you?People just aren't this obnoxious unless they _want_ to be hit.Hard."

Narcissus' laughter was creepy as hell.

"Maybe I was wrong.You might've made me scream," he said as he stood."I'll be seeing you, Buffy Summers."

"I sincerely doubt it."

 

 

**#024. Anger**

By the time Asher rose for the night, Buffy was _furious_ at him.The possibility of being cheated on hurt as much the third time as it did the first and second time.

Rather than snuggling into bed with Asher, as she usually did, Buffy sat at the side of her bed in a wooden chair.It was comforting, like sitting on a throne of stakes.

 _Not that I could stake him right off,_ Buffy thought bitterly.The Slayer's attachment cut both ways.

When his body heaved, his lungs gasped, and he unerringly turned his head to face Buffy before he opened his eyes, it hurt.His sweet smile was like salt in an open wound.

Buffy scowled at him when he finally opened his eyes.

"Who is Narcissus and why does he think that you're going to be our shared boyfriend?"

"What?" Asher rasped.

"I'm sorry.Is that term too _quaint_ for you?Narcissus had thought that it might be."

"Narcissus?"

Buffy saw the precise moment that Asher's brain kicked into gear.Then, to her immense relief, he grimaced.Buffy felt every bit as light as when Asher took her flying.

"I was merely stalling for time while I waited for the police to arrive," he promised as he sat up.His sheets and comforter tumbled around his waist."Hitting a man in the face, twice and making his lip bleed with the sharp edge of my zipper is not my idea of a romantic event."

When Asher held out a hand to her, Buffy willingly took it.She let him pull her onto the bed and snuggle her close while he told her what had happened in St. Louis while she was off hunting the most modern Dracula and his get.

"Dominating Narcissus or being dominated by him was to be the price of Anita's admission to the club's upper rooms.Narcissus had originally wanted Jean-Claude's submission but Jean-Claude was so quietly terrified of being in Narcissus' power that I could not have done anything else."Asher hesitated.He quietly admitted, "I was so very.... relieved... and so ashamed when the policemen arrived.It was like I'd never left Belle's court.And I... didn't want to tell you what I'd done.I didn't want you to look at me differently."

Buffy studied Asher carefully.

"Asher," she said softly."You are _literally_ the best boyfriend that I've ever had.Ever.How could I _not_ look at you differently when you do such amazing things?"

Asher flinched and looked away from her.

Buffy kissed his cheek and murmured in his ear, "Let me show you?"

Asher looked up at her sharply.

Smiling gently, Buffy deliberately wrapped her fingers as far around his wrist as she could reach.She brushed a kiss against his lower lip and leaned forward to whisper in his other ear, "I'll be very, very gentle, Asher."

"As you wish."

 

 

**#066. Were-animal**

Buffy was standing in the center of the food court with the First Slayer. Next to her, a man's mouth was hanging open.The woman sitting across from him had her hand raise, a french-fry dipped in ketchup poised halfway to her mouth.A drip of ketchup was frozen halfway to her blouse.Everything was frozen except for Buffy and the First Slayer.

When the First Slayer turned to walk down the corridor, between the frozen people, Buffy followed her.Under their feet, concrete turned to sand and shops were replaced by sprawling trees, thick with green leaves.As Buffy walked, she watched her trees continue to grow.They stretched out and up, tender green leaves unfurling against the rough brown bark and brilliant blue sky.

"Many descendents," the First Slayer agreed as a stray shadow moved in the distance.The stray shadow stepped out from beneath a tree and resolved itself into a blond man wearing dark clothes.His eyes were as bright as the sky.The man was not Spike.

"I live in the moment between life and death.I am destruction, absolute and alone," the First Slayer intoned.She looked at Buffy out of the corner of her dark eye.The slant of her mouth was sly."You too live in the moment between life and death.You too are destruction, absolute.But you prefer not to be alone."

_"Oh!"_

The First Slayer turned to Buffy.She touched Buffy's cheek as tenderly as Buffy's mother had ever touched her, as tenderly as Buffy had ever touched Dawn.

"Death is your gift, daughter.You must claim your gift before time freezes for you, too.Or you will be as I, absolute and alone forever."

Buffy sat upright in the darkness, panting.Slowly, the familiar lines, shapes, and shadows of her bedroom resolved around her.

"Oohh," she breathed as she fumbled for her journal.Buffy scribbled down her dream then turned on her bedside lamp and got out of bed.For once she was dressed and ready to go before her alarm shrilled.Buffy turned her alarm off, grabbed her tote bag and the enormous black canvas bag that she and Pete usually shared on jobs, and went downstairs for a particularly large breakfast.

Pete Cannon was already up, dressed, and reading the newspaper in the dining room.In front of him, Pete had the remains of a plate of breakfast foods and a half-drained cup of coffee.Buffy told the hostess her room number, heaped a plate with food, fixed a cup of juice for herself, and joined Pete.

"You're up early," Pete said as he turned a page in his newspaper.

"Had a weird dream," said Buffy who had finally moved past freaking out about it and into ambivalence.

Pete lowered his newspaper enough to look at Buffy over its edge.He arched a craggily white eyebrow at her.Buffy shrugged.He nodded and offered her the arts and life, sports, and cartoon sections.Buffy took them.

As the morning progressed, other people stumbled into the dining room.Some of them had interesting scars, others had darting eyes, and all of them had concealed weapons, including Pete and Buffy.The ones that Buffy knew from New York and London nodded to her.Buffy nodded back and that was that.

After Buffy had devoured four and a half heaping plates of food and she and Pete had exchanged their sections of the newspaper twice, Pete said, "It's 'bout that time."

"I'm full, anyway," Buffy said as she ate her last sausage link.

"Could've fooled me," he said.

Buffy made a face at him as they folded up their sections of the paper.Pete grinned, deepening the weathered creases in his brown skin.

They fixed fresh cups of coffee for themselves in Styrofoam cups then strolled into the lobby where all of the other shady types were gathering.Most of them looked at Pete with something bordering on awe and at Buffy with something more than interest and less than calculation.A few of them leered at her in her short, swishy white skirt, tight pink camisole, and black leather jacket.She was wearing her favorite pair of sparkly, high-heeled sandals, three crosses, and Mr. Pointy and carrying their enormous black job bag and her blue and white striped tote bag.In her tote bag Buffy had her purse, favorite pair of work boots, a pair of jeans, a yellow camisole, her most comfortable pair of leather pants, an emergency toiletry kit, a few stakes, a dagger, and an adorable miniature ax.

A Slayer should always be prepared to kick ass and look her best _while_ kicking ass.

"Making your granddaughter caddy for you?" asked a middle-aged man with muddy brown hair and a wicked scar from his hairline to his jaw.The tingle on the back of Buffy's neck revealed him to be a werewolf and a strong one at that.

Pete snorted.

"This here's my partner, Buffy Summers," he said."Can't think of a worse caddy."

"Hey!I'd make an awesome caddy!"

"I've seen you drive," Pete said dryly.

"I haven't hit anything in _years!"_

"What about two months ago in Augusta?"

"How else was I going to reach her heart?She was a freaking giant!I hit her on purpose!"

"We didn't get our deposit back on our rental car."

The argument would have gone on but that was when the shuttle pulled up to the front of the hotel.Forty-five minutes later, they were seated at a large conference table with name tags clipped to their clothes and watching as other vampire executioners filtered into the room.On Buffy's right sat Pete.On her left sat Rance, a vampire hunter that she had gotten to know in New York and later in London.Rance looked like a pirate, and not the hot Hollywood version, but he was basically a good guy.Steady, stable, and levelheaded in a crisis.And he had no trouble playing the helpless victim to her stalking Slayer.

Buffy absently rapped her knuckles against the table then frowned and did it again.

"Fake wood?" asked Pete.

"Yeah."

"Not everyone has your decorating sensibilities," Rance said."Or your upper body strength."

"Tch," scoffed Pete."Don't need it.She's got a way of treating stakes that makes them slip through a vampire's breastbone like a hot knife through butter."

Rance arched his eyebrows at Buffy."Yeah?You been holding back?"

"I make those when I'm hunting with Pete and Pete begged out of New York," Buffy said as she fished a stake out of her tote bag."Here, have one."

"Thanks," said Rance, his large fingers curling around the shaft of her stake.He hefted it in the palm of his hand, then took a sheathed knife out of his boot.The knife went into a jacket pocket and the stake went into his boot.

Rance and Pete were talking about homemade bullets, and Buffy was listening carefully even though guns had never been her thing, when a gawky guy with masses of ridiculously curly orange hair strode into the room.He was followed by the future Hell Goddess of Bad Home Perms.She was wearing her natural hair color, a hideous outfit, and her perpetual scowl.They were both carrying plastic Big Gulps cups filled with coffee and bulging canvas bags.

Anita, who was stridently making some point about the evils of mornings to her orange-haired sidekick, did not immediately notice Buffy.That gave Buffy plenty of time to admire the ruffles and shoulder pads on Anita's red blouse and the way that it nearly matched the red swoosh on her sneakers.

After Anita ambled a cowboy.He was wearing a pair of worn brown boots, faded jeans, and a neatly tucked in plaid button down shirt and carrying a half-empty black canvas bag and a Stetson hat.He was blond and, when he glanced in Buffy's direction, his eyes were as blue as the sky over the First Slayer's desert.He was so painfully familiar that Buffy's heart lurched at the sight of his face.

_But where would I have even met a cowboy?My territory doesn't go that far west._

When Anita turned to include the cowboy in the conversation, Buffy realized that he was with Anita.The enormous bald guy who strode in after the cowboy was probably with them too.

 _"You!"_ snapped Anita when she finally noticed Buffy.The cowboy tilted his head at Buffy.The orange-haired kid looked confused.And the bald guy seemed to be too busy staring at Anita to care about what might be going on with Buffy."What're you doing here?"

Buffy smiled brightly."I'm here for Federal Marshall orientation, Anita, the same as you."

The furious, frustrated noise that Anita made at the back of her throat was music to Buffy's ears.

 

 

**#028. Curse**

Since the seat across from Buffy was already filled (by another hunter from the New York and London hunt), Anita sat across from Pete.The orange-haired guy, probably her own apprentice, sat next to her and the cowboy sat next to him.The bald guy sat on the cowboy's other side.

Anita glared at Buffy for all that she was worth.

"Buffy?" drawled Rance."Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Acquaintances," Buffy corrected."Friend of a friend of a friend, really.That's Anita Blake.Anita, this is Pete Cannon, Rance Hayworth, and you're sitting next to Reid Dunne.Gentlemen, Anita and I met once at a dinner party that was thrown by a third party.It was... interesting."

"This is Larry Kirkland, Theodore Forrester, and Olaf," Anita bit out."Why didn't you _tell me_ that you were a veteran vampire hunter?"

"I prefer to be an unsung hero," Buffy said airily."It's better for my health."

Anita shot Buffy a scornful look.

"Buffy, you've met Ted before," Pete said mildly.

"I did?"

"On the cursed swan prince job," Pete reminded her."It was only in passing."

"Uh... _Oh!"_ Buffy said as she remembered the assassin who had tried to bounty jump them."Yes.I remember.It's nice to see you again."

Ted tipped his head at her."Call me Ted."

 _Ugh. Worst name ever._ Even after all of the things that Buffy had seen and done, the memories surrounding her mother's robotic boyfriend were still some of Buffy's worst.Perhaps it was because he was so normal and socially acceptable and his sort of evil was so mundanely human in its breadth and depth and scope.Maybe it was because he had hit her where she lived.Maybe it was because she had killed him twice, even though she had thought he was human the first time. _Whatever.Wasn't he called Edward?And don't the vampires call some Edward-guy Death?Same guy, maybe?_

Buffy studied the cowboy with new interest.She tried to remember everything that her dreams had said about her _gift._

 _If he's my gift,_ Buffy wondered as agents in suits passed out thick white binders. _How do I claim him?And do I even want to?_

 

 

Buffy was the one who discovered that the conference room was spelled against lying.

She had paged through her binder during the initial _blah blah blah_ and studied the schedule in it more carefully than she had listened to the lecture.The agents stressed the fact that no one was to share the names or handles learned in this room and then named everyone for everyone else's benefit and gave their handle if they had one.'Ted Forrester' was just 'Ted Forrester' and Olaf apparently had no last nameIt made Buffy wonder what else the agency either did not know or was keeping to itself.

There was a minor ripple when it was revealed that Buffy was the infamous Slayer and Anita's expression became even more unfriendly if possible.

And then they were directed to play a 'fun' getting to know you game.It was basically I've Never but without the alcohol.Everyone got to ask one semi-personal question and everyone else had to answer it.Buffy figured that it let the agency collect information on them at the same time it let them start taking stock of each other's strengths, weaknesses, and peculiarities for later collaborations.

The first question was whether those with handles had chosen them or were given them by their hunts.Buffy answered that one honestly enough.(Given and inherited.)

The second one was who they had apprenticed to.Buffy answered that one semi-honestly.(Pete Cannon.)

The third one was when their preferred hunting time was.(Night.)

And the follow up question, "Why?"

"It seems more fair," Buffy said with a shrug."I'd be pissed if someone killed me in my sleep.And it's less boring."

The next one was, "Favorite method of execution."(Stakes, anything medieval or fire.)

Which invited the follow up question of, "Why?"

Buffy's answer, "Fighting with a wooden stake is a dying _art._ And medieval weapons are just plain fun.So is fire.I've used various types of handguns and rifles and once I got to kill something with a bazooka but modern weapons are usually something of a letdown," certainly got Ted's attention.

There were a few about tactics and then someone asked how well they worked with others.

When Ted said that he worked well with others, Buffy was amused to note how many people nodded or mumbled something about him being _'the best'_ and _'rock solid.'_

"I work great with others," Anita said promptly when it was her turn. "I'm good at being in charge but I'm also a really solid backup too."

A few people snorted and Buffy, who remembered just how well Glory had played with others, bit the inside of her cheek.

"I prefer to hunt alone or with someone that I know really well and trust," Buffy admitted when it was her turn."But, if I have to work in a group, I do best if I'm in charge.I don't follow orders well, or at all really, but I'll have my teammates' backs."

Someone asked their ages.(Ted was only a few years older than her.Buffy was appalled to discover that Pete was eighty-seven.)

And then some jerk midway around the conference table asked how old they were when they killed their first vampire.

"Twenty-one," Buffy said because that was how old she was when she met Pete.

The entire room flashed red.

"Perhaps you should reconsider your answer," said Agent Bronson.He had the nerve to even sound a little bit embarrassed for Buffy.Agent Patterson, who was helping Agent Bronson to run their agency orientation, shot Buffy a disapproving look.

Buffy scowled at Bronson.

"Pass."

"There are no passes," snapped Anita.Buffy had been surprised to discover that Anita had killed her first vampire at twenty-four.Buffy had never bothered imagining Glory's early years but Buffy figured that if she had, she would have imagined a childhood filled with murdered pets and dead things."Everyone else answered honestly!"

Buffy shot a furious look at the agents.Agent Bronson pretended not to notice it.Agent Patterson shrugged.

"Don't you worry none, Buffy," Pete said comfortably."I know that I wasn't your first teacher. You just tell the truth.It won't hurt my feelings."

"Fifteen," Buffy gritted, disliking the looks that she got off of most of the others, especially when there was no evil red light to contradict her.From Buffy's perspective, the questions only got worse from there.

There was, "How old were you the first time that you killed a vampire master?"(Fifteen.)

"How old were you when you killed your first were-animal?"(Never have.)

"How old were you the first time that you killed an entire nest of something?"(Fifteen.)

When it was her turn, Buffy asked to see the contents of everyone's work bags.

Pete asked what everyone wanted to eat for lunch.

Ted's question, "What's the most interesting thing that you've ever killed?" stumped Buffy.

"I... don't know," Buffy admitted."Everything's interesting before you kill it."

Everything that she had ever killed was really interesting at the time but in retrospect, no so much.That included Glory, now that Buffy had seen her origins.

"Maybe some sort of demon?" Pete suggested."It's always interesting when you go after one of them."

There were sharp inhales and muttered curses from around the room.The agents and Anita Blake paled.

"You've killed a demon?" asked Ted, who looked like all of his birthdays and holidays came at once.

"I've lost count of how many I've seen her kill," Pete said blandly."She just runs straight at them with whatever she can get her hands on.It's always very memorable... and gory.I don't mind admitting that the first time I saw her do it, I nearly had heart failure.That's my answer by the way."

"That's not possible," Anita snapped. _"No one_ kills demons. Faith and prayers barely keep them at bay."

"You're doing it wrong," Buffy said."You don't wait for them to come after you.You go after them."

Ted's interest visibly sharpened."Can anyone do it?" he asked.

"Sure, if you know how," Buffy said. She shrugged."Some people are more naturally talented at it than others, of course, just like some people have more talent for raising the dead or eating pies.But, so long as you've got access to an expert or a good demonology library, anyone can hunt demons.There's a lot of research that goes into successfully slaying demons and living to tell about it."

"I've never seen you crack a book since I've known you," scoffed Pete.

"I read!" Buffy insisted. "I probably read my high school's entire demonology section. _Twice._ Admittedly, under duress but it still counts.Between that and a lot of hands on experience, I can usually make a good guess at how to kill a thing if I haven't run across it before.Plus, I know when to run like the wind... on a really windy day.Like a hurricane, really."

Pete snorted."That metaphor got away from you, didn't it?"

"Little bit."

When it was her turn, Anita asked Buffy's least favorite question, "Why did you get into this line of work?"

Buffy came up with and discard half a dozen truthful answers.When her turn rolled around, Buffy said, "Because it's fun.And exciting.Because I missed it when I stopped.Because it's what I'm meant to do."

The stupid red light did not go off.Ted eyed her like she was maybe a wonderful, mythical creature.

When Ted's turn rolled around, he said, "Because it's fun.And challenging."

No red light.

Buffy did some looking of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	13. "Because you're insane."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#021. Traitor**

They ordered lunch in and told tall tales about hunts and comrades.Ted contributed a few bland stories about this or that execution but Buffy was sure that he was keeping his most interesting stories to himself.That was okay because Buffy was keeping her best stories to herself, too.Pete and Rance and a few of the other executioners that she had worked with over the years told all of the stories about Buffy that ever needed to be told.

Instead, Buffy concentrated on consuming all of the (free) food that she had ordered.Getting paid to eat as much as she wanted at lunch without having to pay for any of it was _amazing!_ Even with the promise of horrible teambuilding and an overemphasis on firearms hanging over her head, Buffy was really enjoying Federal Marshall orientation.

Larry Something-or-Other seemed enjoy watching her eat.

"Where do you put it all?" he asked, sounding slightly awed but mostly ill.

"I have a high metabolism," Buffy said defensively."And I work out.A lot."

After lunch, a female agent named Patterson led them all down to the shooting range where everyone got a lecture on gun safety and hearing protection before they got turned loose.Buffy borrowed one of Pete's handguns and entertained herself by shooting flower patterns into her target's forehead and heart until Pete saw her paper vampire and challenged her to get all of her shots through a single hole in either the head or heart.Then everyone had to switch to rifles and then shotguns.

At the end of the practice time, everyone was assigned a time for his or her qualifying exam in front of a panel of three experts.Since the times were assigned alphabetically, Anita and Pete were some of the first to get in, shoot things up, and get out.For some inexplicable reason, Olaf No-last-name was sent right to the front of the line with them.Buffy was willing to bet that there was something really, really wrong with that guy.She wondered if there was a bounty on him... or an order of execution.

_If there is, maybe Pete would consider doing the executing._

"Ever get out west?" asked Ted as he claimed the seat next to Buffy in the waiting room.

"Not since I left home," Buffy admitted."Pete's got a life in St. Louis so I built one there for myself, too."

"Doesn't sound like you need Cannon as a mentor anymore, if you ever did."

Buffy shrugged.

"I like slaying with Pete so I stick close to his range.If I had a favorite slaying buddy who was west of the Mississippi, I'd probably expand my horizons, so to speak."

Ted hummed."Ever do consults?"

"If the pay is good or I like the person asking," Buffy said.She aimed her best flirty look his way as she added, "I can be persuaded with the promise of fun or a challenge."

Ted grinned at her.His amusement made his eyes very blue.

"Darlin', that's the only kind of work I take.But I'm not much for hunting at night."

"I remember," Buffy said.She pouted up at him."Mid-morning, really?"

"Even the oldest ones are tucked up in their coffins by then," he said. "I like a good visiting team advantage."

Buffy laughed."Did you just use a sports metaphor?"

"I might've heard somewhere that you're the athletic type."

"Individual competitions with team scoring, mostly," Buffy said, knowing who his _'somewhere'_ was."And if I had my way, I'd only be doing the ice skating."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely.I'd heard that fencing meant 'anything goes' in these parts and I had a little steam to blow off so I dropped in on the fencing club."

"I'm pretty sure that's the definition of fencing everywhere in the world," Ted said.

"Yeah, well, not where I grew up.So anyway, I kicked much ass and I was feeling all relaxed and happy when the coach asked me to stay.It was the en-dolphins, I swear."

"Endorphins," Ted cheerfully corrected. Buffy suspected that he suspected that she had mispronounced the word on purpose which she so totally had.But, most of the time, people just assumed that she meant it.Ted was freakishly observant, it seemed.

"Right.So I said yes.I like sword fighting and anything goes is totally up my alley.And then the fencing coach blabbed to the gymnastics coach about how many jumps and flips and tumbles I use when I sword fight.I totally would've said _'no,'_ to that spot on the gymnastics team because it's not really my thing anymore but I never know what to do when a grown man starts crying on my shoulder.So I said the first thing I could think of which turned out to be _'yes, of course, I'll join your gymnastics team even though I haven't paid much attention to the sport since I gave up cheerleading my freshman year of high school.'_ Then he cried some more but they were happy tears, which was slightly more bearable."

"Fifteen was a busy year for you," Ted commented.

"It was," Buffy said, thinking of her first days as The Slayer. "I was co-captain of the freshman cheerleading squad, co-chair of the homecoming committee, homecoming queen, Miss Ninth Grade in the Freshman Beauty Pageant, and co-chair of the Spring Fling.And I won first place in the Ice Dancing Princess competition."

Before she got Called as The Slayer, Buffy had been the sort of popular girl that crushed the quirky outsiders of the world under her highly fashionable three-inch heels and ate girls like Cordelia Chase as part of a healthy breakfast.Failing Merrick and setting fire to the Spring Fling had effectively ended that part of her life.

Ted laughed.He sounded surprised.

"I never would've guess that," he admitted.

"I've got lots of hidden depths," Buffy said archly."But then, you're something of an expert on the having of hidden depths, aren't you, _Theodore?"_

He snorted."I thought I asked you to call me Ted."

"I like your proper name better," Buffy replied as a door opened and the previous batch of examinees started filing out of the range.

Ted shot Buffy a sharp look that was all assassin for hire and not at all cowboy in nature.

Buffy ignored it, in favor of pretending to listen avidly as the first examiner read out the names of the next batch of examinees.

Pete finally ambled out of the range.Looking amused, he tipped an imaginary hat at Buffy, his eyes lingering on the (comfortable) space between herself and Ted, and then ambled right out the door.Anita, who was walking behind Rance and Larry, shot Ted a betrayed look when her eyes found him.Ted shrugged at her as the examiner called, "Forrester, Ted."

Ted touched Buffy's forearm as he stood and ambled toward the amassing group.As he passed Anita, she mumbled something to him before she spared a glare for Buffy and stomped out.

Buffy sighed.It was going to be a long, boring wait before they got to, "Summers, Buffy."

 

 

**#051. Sin**

"Did you know?" Jean-Claude asked.He had just escaped a telephone conversation with a highly irate Anita.

"I... strongly suspected."

Jean-Claude frowned at Asher, perhaps tasting some dishonestly in his words.Asher sighed.

"I knew.She never said as much but it was obvious, especially when she casually mentioned gutting her first lover and kicking him through a portal into hell."

Jean-Claude looked incredulous."She admitted to that?"

"As part of a bedtime story," Asher admitted.Then, because Jean-Claude still looked incredulous and vaguely bewildered, he added, "We both enjoy bedtime stories.They're usually about us."

"And it didn't occur to you to tell me that The Slayer was living in my territory?"

All vampires hoarded knowledge.One never knew what might be useful.But getting caught out with a secret, especially by a master, was tantamount to a sin... if vampires believed in sins.

(The surprising majority of them did.)

Asher was reconsidering his stance toward sins.He used to only believe in love and pleasure and getting as much of both as possible in this world.But being in love with The Slayer changed a man, hopefully for the better.

"I ignored her... other activities for a very long while," Asher said."Then later, I decided that telling you would only make things unnecessarily complicated."

"Unnecessarily complicated," Jean-Claude repeated flatly.

"I knew that if you knew, you would want Buffy to swear allegiance to you or perhaps enter into a pact with you," Asher said, resigning himself to the conversation."And she will never do it, Jean-Claude.She is constitutionally incapable of providing blanket promises of safety to anyone, including me."

"She would kill you?" Jean-Claude asked, looking and sounding horrified.

"I believe you once asked Anita to be your safety valve and kill you if you ended up like so many of us," Asher said, remembering a particular conversation with Jean-Claude.

"That was because I knew that she would never do it!I just wanted her to feel comfortable and in control!"

"Well, Buffy would do it and has done it before.Her list of nonnegotiables is truly nonnegotiable," Asher said and then frowned."Don't look like that, Jean.You and I have never been interested in any of the things that she considers 'deal breakers.'"

"Such as?"

"Ending the world.Speeding up the apocalypse.Opening hell's gates and allowing the damned into our world.Killing sprees.Starting the apocalypse.The only one that might be tricky for us are her insistences that no humans be harmed and that we obey the human laws."

Jean-Claude still looked unhappy and angry (and hurt, although Asher was no longer supposed to notice the last thing) so Asher stood and went to hug Jean-Claude.For once, Jean-Claude allowed it.He even wrapped his arms around Asher in return.Asher savored the sensation.

"I should punish you," Jean-Claude mumbled against the side of Asher's neck."I should lock you in a cross-wrapped coffin for at least a month."

"You should," Asher agreed as he smoothed his hand across Jean-Claude's lower back."But you won't.Please trust me in this, Jean-Claude.Buffy is not someone that you can leash with platitudes or deception or even love.You just have to have faith."

"And not cross her boundaries."

"They are not boundaries that you have ever been interested in crossing before, Jean-Claude.Have faith in your better self."

Jean-Claude huffed a laugh.It was a puff of cool air against the side of Asher's throat.

"I... have never had much of that."

"I know," Asher said and resisted the urge to press a kiss against Jean-Claude's throat or mouth.

Jean-Claude sighed.His arms tightened around Asher.

"I'll... try," Jean-Claude promised as he slowly pulled away from Asher.

"Thank you."

 

 

**#085. Watcher**

In Buffy's opinion, Federal Marshalls Orientation could aptly be renamed, "How To Make Friends, Influence People, and Not Screw Up (Too Badly.)"There were workshops in the morning on crime scenes (and how not to contaminate them), the extent of their legal authority, standard weapons and tactics, first aid, supernatural rights, and how not to embarrass the bureau too much, among other things.In the afternoon, there were teamwork and trust exercises, mock scenarios, and occasionally presentations by the various vampire hunters in attendance.Since there were also tests on all of the material covered, Buffy took copious notes, kept an eye on Olaf and Agent Patterson, and tried to ignore the way that Ted was watching her.Again.

He always seemed to be watching her.And Pete always seemed to be watching him.Not that either man _looked_ like he was staring at anyone or anything in particular but Buffy had been an active Slayer in this world for six and a half years and an active Slayer in her home dimension for another five and a half years.After twelve years, Buffy knew when something was watching her.And, after spending so much time with him, Buffy knew Pete.Something about Ted fascinated him.

Anita, who was much less subtle than Ted or Pete, split her glares between Buffy and Olaf.Since Anita was a hell god in the making and Buffy was fairly certain that Olaf was a monster trapped in human form, Buffy had difficulty deciding how she felt about that.Irritated, obviously, because among other things, the woman's fashion sense was an assault on Buffy's fashion sense; and someday, Anita was going to dye her hair blonde, give herself a bad home perm, ascend to the rank of hell god and kidnap Dawnie in a bid to destroy every dimension that had ever or would ever exist.But, other than simmering irritation, extreme dislike, and maybe just the tiniest bit of preemptive (or was it post-emptive?) murderousness, Buffy had a hard time pinpointing what she felt about Anita Blake or anything that Anita Blake did (and everything that she failed to do.)

Olaf, who seemed to be unaware of Anita and Buffy's interest in him, lavished the entirety of his attention on Agent Patterson.Patterson was small and slim with long dark hair and large doe eyes.Buffy knew that Agent Patterson was a crack shot but Buffy also knew how rarely she felt the urge to kill things that she presumed to be human.Maybe, if Anita could grow up to be a hell god, Olaf was on the precipice of becoming something equally awful.Maybe, he would make the change while Buffy was around to slay him immediately after he descended or reincarnated or whatever happened when one shifted from man to demon-thing.So Buffy was taking a wait, hope, and see what happens approach with Olaf No-last-name.

In the spirit of keeping Olaf close (and Agent Patterson closer), Buffy had suggest a Girls Kicking Ass night where all the ladies at the orientation would hit the gym and kick ass and left off some steam.To her surprise, everyone with a set of double X chromosomes came, including Anita.To Buffy's pleasure, the federal building had a wonderfully extensive gym.The men had countered by going out for pizza and beer and with that, it became a weekly thing.The women hit the gym while the men hit a sports bar and, on an another night, the ladies took advantage of Ladies Night at the local bars while the men hit the gym.

The other five nights of the week were a free-for-all which Buffy used to keep up with her online classes through the university, study for her marshalling classes, stalk Olaf (who was stalking Agent Patterson), and visit that marvelous gym on her own.

She was totally into that gym, even if she had to share it with a bunch of Nosey Neds.

About six weeks into the course, when Buffy was waiting outside of the federal building for her cab after a wonderfully hard workout, she heard the beginnings of a woman's scream.It cut off sharply and then there was ominous silence.Buffy took off in a sprint towards the direction that she thought that it might have come from.

She got to the far edge of the employees' parking lot, scanned it, and then jogged toward the darkest corner of the lot.It looked like someone had deliberately smashed out a key light and, as anyone who survived more than a month in Sunnydale knew, where be suspicious activity, there be trouble.

 _There be trouble, **indeed,** _ Buffy thought as she sped up the pace.She could just barely see a huge, hulking shape stuffing a smaller one into the trunk of his car.

Buffy hit him like a train... or a Slayer tackling a chaos demon, whichever.

On the bright side, Olaf excreted way less slime than any given chaos demon.And he lacked a rack of antlers.On the unfortunate side, he still seem to be human so twisting Olaf's head a full two hundred and seventy degrees or tearing a limb off and beating him to death with it seemed unethical.That constrained Buffy in ways that Olaf, judging by his hunting knife, was not.

Apparently, Agent Patterson was not hampered by Buffy's sense of ethics either.

One moment, Buffy rolling, twisting, and (gently!) kicking Olaf into the rear of the car, the bumper hitting him behind the knees and bending him backwards into the perfect staking position, and the next Agent Patterson was surging into a sitting position and bashing Olaf's face in with a tire iron.

And she _kept_ bashing Olaf's face in until Buffy scrambled to her feet and wrestled the tire iron out of the woman's death grip.Buffy nearly got brained with the tire iron for her efforts.

After Buffy had secured the tire iron (and dragged Agent Patterson out of the car in the process), she chanced a glance at Olaf.No one was going to be able to identify that corpse via facial recognition.

Agent Patterson seized on Buffy's moment of inattention to try to wrestle the tire iron out of Buffy's hand.Unfortunately for the agent, Buffy had a good grip on it.

"Relax," Buffy told the other woman."He's really, really dead."

"You wouldn't be saying _relax_ if you knew what he is!"

"Almost a demon?Serial Killer?"

"Serial killer," Patterson snarled, temporarily giving up on getting the blunt instrument of death back from Buffy.She lunged at Olaf and Buffy dropped the tire iron to catch the other woman.By the time the tire iron stopped clattering against the pavement, Buffy had her more or less subdued.

"Listen, I completely understand what you're feeling right now but people get very judge-y about the amount of force used in situations like this," Buffy said."Believe me, it's better to exercise a little control now because it'll mean a lot less trouble for you later on."

There was a very long pause and then Patterson nodded jerkily.She softened fractionally in Buffy's grasp.Buffy, however, waited for the verbal confirmation.Fake outs had always been one of Dawnie's favorite tricks.

"Let's go report this," Patterson finally said."Before I stop being angry."

"Okay.Sounds like a plan."

Buffy let her go.They marched back into the federal building together.

 

 

**#012. Sunlight**

The upshot of thing with Olaf was a temporary halt in orientation so that the bureau could do more thorough background checks on everyone, including Buffy who stuck by her _'Vampires rolled me and made me forget my whole life,'_ story.And Buffy had to make numerous appearances before lower courts and review boards as a witness for Patterson.

Buffy survived the increased scrutiny.Interestingly, so did Ted and Anita's protégé.

Anita, herself, did not.She, along with about a fifth of their class, was asked to leave.They would not be receiving Federal Marshall status.The bounty hunter who happened to be a werewolf and Rance were among those who left voluntarily.Some of the others left in handcuffs.By the end of the purge, a little less than half of the class was left.

The remaining candidates spent the next three months surviving orientation and those who did got badges at their graduation.Buffy, Ted, and Larry were among those awarded a badge.

Buffy was back in St. Louis, enjoying the relative warmth and reacquainting herself with the local malls, when she bumped into an unwelcome face.

"Anita," Buffy said coolly.

"Buffy," snapped Anita who was there with a tall, thin woman who held herself like an athlete.Flyaway strands of her short hair gleamed pale brown in the ambient sunlight.Buffy approved of the stranger's sensible jeans and flattering shirt."What're you doing here?"

"Shopping, same as everyone else," Buffy said as she gave her bags a little swing."Excuse me."

Buffy thought that was the end of it.Not so.

When she left the mall hours later and quite a bit poorer, she found Jean-Claude leaning against her cute little love bug (of death.Literally.She kept all sorts of lovely, bladed things under the backseat, just in case.)Buffy liked Jean-Claude but if he thought for a minute that he was going to bully her or compromise her as a Slayer, he had best think again.

At the end of all things, Buffy was always The Slayer first and everything else - even a woman, friend, or lover - second.

"Mademoiselle Slayer," he said coolly."I had thought that you would have sought an audience with me before this."

Buffy rolled her eyes.Hard."Anita told on me, didn't she?"

"I am the Master of the City.Most vampire hunters prefer to remain on good terms with such a person."

"I do my job the way that it's supposed to be done.And I do it well.I don't need anything, good will or otherwise, from you."

"That's a naive stance to take."

"What's naive is Anita's belief that I won't report her for compromising my identity.Excuse me."

Jean-Claude stiffened. _"Ma petite_ did not mention that it was a secret."

"She probably didn't care," Buffy said wryly, thinking of Glory's stupid anti-memory spell."Now get your butt off of my car."

"Surely we can come to some sort of agreement," Jean-Claude said as Buffy juggled her bags to get her car key into the lock.The lock clicked open.

"I've already told you that you don't have anything that I want," Buffy said as she wrenched open the back door on the driver's side. She dumped her shopping bags into the backseat and straightened in one smooth movement.

"I have Asher," Jean-Claude said with silky menace.Buffy frozen."And he, unlike you, puts a great deal of stock in my authority as the Master of the City."

"I'll let Anita off the hook for telling you," Buffy said."But that's it.If she tells anyone else, I'll lodge a formal legal complaint against her.And if you interfere between Asher and me in any way, I'll lodge a formal complaint against _both_ of you.Her for being a lawbreaking blabbermouth and you for engineering personal reprisals against me for my profession."

And knowing that woman, regardless of the name she chose to go by, Buffy knew that there would later opportunities to exercise her legal rights.With Anita, there always was... until, of course, there would be no more opportunities for her.But that was probably a long way off in Anita's personal timeline.Buffy would have to savor her memories until then.

Jean-Claude studied Buffy through narrowed eyes."You really don't know how this game is played, do you?"

"I really don't care what games you play," Buffy said."Because I didn't come to _play._ Now move your ass or I'll kick it."

Jean-Claude moved."I'll be see you around, Slayer."

"It seems unlikely," Buffy said as she opened her car door."Goodbye Jean-Claude."

 

 

**#038. Legends**

The first time Ted rang her doorbell, Buffy was on her way out to a class.When she answered with her bookbag slung over one shoulder, he smiled at her.

"Going somewhere?"

"Class."

"Skip it.I've got a job."

Buffy snorted."Yeah, this isn't going to work like that.I'm not the sort to say 'how high?' when someone says jump."

Ted's smile widened."It's legal.I've got a federal warrant and everything."

The warrant or bounty might be real enough but Buffy suspected that the smile was a lie.Her interest peaked, she said, "I have tomorrow free.And the weekend."

"I thought you had some sort of competition this weekend."

_Where did he get a copy of my schedule?Is this a test?What sort?_

"A girl's gotta eat."

Ted smiled again."And you certainly eat a lot."

Buffy, deciding that he was _not_ that hot, stepped outside and turned to lock her door.She ignored how her arms and shoulders brushed against him as she moved.When she turned toward the stairs, Ted followed her lead.

"I could ask Anita," he said as they walked."She usually drops what she's doing to help out."

Buffy snorted.

"Who she's doing," Buffy corrected then winced.Sometimes, her inner bitchiness just escaped!"Forget I said that.Go ahead.Ask Anita if you want to."

He opened the door to the stairwell and then held it for her.Buffy smiled, despite herself.

"Way I hear it, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," he said as they started clattering down the stairs.

Buffy tamped down on her impulse to say something quick and unpleasant.She had opened the door.And she sort of wanted him to be interested in her life.Buffy loved Asher, and she knew that he loved her, but she had eyes... even if she was still sort of denying that she was seeing what she was seeing.

"Booty call gone bad," Buffy finally said."I just wanted to have _good sex._ And Asher isn't a creep which made me sort of like him.And then somehow there was dating and feelings..."

"I get it," Ted said, with a surprising amount of understanding in his tone.

"But if he ever goes bad, I'll be the one who exercises the warrant," Buffy said, her tone hard."And I've told him that."

Ted huffed a laugh.

"I'd stick around just to see that," he told her.They had reached the bottom of the stairs."I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy."

Buffy smiled at him, pleased."See you, then."

She was less pleased when she discovered that Ted was a damn morning person.But he brought a gallon of coffee and a dozen donuts so that was okay too.

 

 

Ted was a brilliant hunting partner.He was fearless, inventive, and showed up with the bulk of the research already done.After initially testing her prescribed limits (and finding her intractable), he stayed within them.And he liked fire!

Clearly, the First Slayer was the best matchmaker in the history of ever!

Except not a match, because Buffy was with Asher and Ted was with whoever he called every morning.And her kids, which was so sweet!As the daughter of a single mom and a woman who had once been the guardian of a hellmouth and a moody teenager with a voice that any banshee would be jealous of, Buffy knew guys like that were hard to come by.(Seriously.Buffy had once fought a banshee.After growing up with Dawn, the banshee's voice was no sweat.Successful slayage started at home.)

And, when he felt the deranged compulsion to wake her up early, Ted always brought a dozen donuts and about a gallon of coffee.(If Giles or Mom had invested in coffee and donuts, Buffy probably would have been on time to high school more often.Then again, maybe not.Patrolling a hellmouth had made it nearly impossible to get to bed early.)And he was cool with it when she slept during long road trips.He was nearly as good a hunting partner as Pete was.

There were only three things that Buffy disliked about partnering Ted.

Firstly, it made Pete and Anita insufferable in entirely different ways.Pete acted like he had personally made their match.Anita, who was at the other end of the spectrum, stomped around and took her bad mood out on Asher (among others) for _days._ While Buffy could live with Pete's brand of smugness, she avoided Anita like the plague.

Secondly, sleeping near Ted did weird things to Buffy's dreams.He excited the First Slayer and gave Buffy Slayer dreams.

Thirdly, he had cut her off, that rat bastard.

About three months after he had first started showing up on her doorstep with a bounty poster or a warrant of execution and an easy smile, a job went bad and Ted saw Buffy go hand-to-hand against a master vampire.It ended with Buffy twisting the vampire's head off.

"Wait a minute and we can burn my clothes with the body," Buffy said as Ted helpfully fetched her slaying essentials kit from the backseat of his car.Ted turned his back, ostensibly to keep an eye out for... anything, while Buffy changed behind an open car door.

On their way back to St. Louis, he was very quiet.

As soon as they got back to the city, she scrounged up another warrant of execution in another nearby city and went to execute it.Three months after that, she invited Pete out for a bigger job.

"I thought you were going with younger partners now, like that Ted Forrester," he said when he picked her up.At nearly ninety or not, Pete was still a better driver than Buffy.

"He freaked out on our last job.Quietly.I haven't seen him since."

"His first demon?"

"Not yet.Things went bad.He saw me tear a vampire's head off."

Pete grunted."If he's that damn sensitive, you have no business going out with him."

The job went more or less smoothly with Buffy doing all of the hand-to-hand violence and grunt work and Pete doing the research and looking menacing with a shotgun.When they got back, Pete dropped Buffy off in front of the building.

Ted was lounging on Buffy's couch.

"They call me Death," Ted said slowly.He leaned forward."And I certainly bring it.But it's not who I am.I don't think that you can say the same thing, Slayer."

Buffy slowly put her hunting bags down.

"Been doing some research, Ted?"

"Reading some old legends.Had to pay someone to get them translated into English.It turns out that The Slayer, the true one, isn’t a name or a single person.It's a title that’s been passed down since the dawn of time.No one without a right to the title would be stupid enough to claim it."

"It's more than a title," Buffy said evenly. "There are certain duties and responsibilities... and perks that come with the position."

"Like being strong enough to tear a vampire's head off?"

"Among other things."

"It's said that it's The Slayer's duty to protect the gates of Hell and guard against the apocalypse," Ted said carefully.

"Also true."

Buffy felt Ted's attention sharpen like a shift in the very air.

"Are the Gates of Hell in St. Louis?" he asked.

"Of course not."

"So it's the End of Days?"

"Sort of?I'm temporally displaced.From my perspective, your world's first end has already come and gone and mine's been averted."

"Time travel?" asked Ted and Buffy bristled at the tone of disbelief in his voice."First end?"

"The end of a world doesn't always mean the end of everything in it," Buffy said.She shrugged."I know that people survive this world's first apocalypse.Otherwise, they wouldn't have banded together, risen up in an army, and driven your demon god into my world."

"I think I'd like to hear this from the beginning," Ted said slowly.

There was no way that he could _make_ her blab but there were compulsions stronger than physical force.Buffy really did want him to choose to stay with her for the long haul.

"It's very long.And there are boring parts."

"I'll survive," Ted said dryly.

"Where should I start?" Buffy asked as she perched on top of her coffee table.

"What's a Slayer?" Ted asked.

Buffy grimaced."Seriously?You're seriously going to make me give that speech?"

Ted stared at Buffy flatly.

"Fine, fine," Buffy huffed."Creation is older than humanity commonly believes..."

 

 

**#022. Space**

After explaining about slaying and Sunnydale and her final battle with The Beast (and leaving out the part about Dawn being anything other than a run-of-the-mill human sacrifice), Buffy made her pitch to Ted about becoming her partner.It seemed like a good time to do it since she had his complete, undivided attention.

Ted looked at her like she was nuts.

"You don't even know me."

"Well... Not well," Buffy admitted as she quickly weighed up whether _'I dream about you all the time,'_ sounded more or less weird than _'You're my gift!'_ It was a close call."But there's this prophecy..."

Ted looked skeptical.

Buffy raised her hands between them.

"No, really!The First Slayer said that _Death is my gift,"_ Buffy shrugged."I originally thought that it referred to my ability to kill practically anything but then there was that thing with Dawn and I thought that maybe she meant that my death would be my gift to Dawnie, but, well, I ended up here."

"You have no idea what it means."

"Ido now.My dreams have gotten easier to interpret as I've gotten older.Or maybe I'm just used to them now."Ted looked unimpressed.Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him."Look, if we do the joining ritual and it doesn't take, then I'm a nut and no harm done.If I'm right and it _does_ take, you'll get to live as long as I do.Or I'll live as long as you do.It's like insurance against a rough job."

"Or I'll die as early as you do," he scoffed.

"Twelve years as an active Slayer is nothing to sneeze at," Buffy said sharply."Most girls who are Chosen live less than a year.The good ones live about three years.I'm the best there's ever been."

"You're also living on borrowed time."

"And you aren't?" she demanded."I know what you get up to, Death.You aren't exactly living a lifestyle that's conducive to growing old yourself, buster."

Ted stood up, the movement rasping his jeans against hers.He was suddenly very much inside of Buffy's personal bubble of space.

"I'm going to live longer than you," he said flatly."Because you're _insane."_

"Ted-"

He left without looking back.Ted slammed her front door behind himself.

Instead of ordering takeout and taking that shower that she had been looking forward to, Buffy hit her workout room.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	14. "Something wicked this way comes."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#095. Cold**

Buffy saw Patterson again about eight months after training ended.They crossed paths on a case - Buffy had been asked in to do the tracking - and the two women went out for drinks after the case was more or less concluded and dropped in a federal attorney's lap.

"You said you understood," Patterson said suddenly.She looked nervous but terribly determined."You said that you _completely understood_ and then you gave me some pretty good advice.And... well..."

Buffy smiled a half-smile that had no humor in it.She took a long sip of her margarita and then said, "Remember when we did that twenty questions thing on the first day of that sketchy vampire hunters to respectable marshals seminar?And my answer was always fifteen for all of the How Old Were You The First Time You Whatever questions. My freshman year of high school, I didn't just join a bunch of high school clubs, win a bunch of meaningless social positions, and win first place in the all around Queen Bitch category, I also acquired a pair of stalkers, master vampires both."

Buffy paused to sip her fruity drink.She was aware of Patterson's rapt attention.

"The first was Lothos who could invade your dreams if he learned your name.He wanted to make me his _consort._ The second was Angelus, who had what could most kindly be described as a split personality and what could best be described as a savior complex.Fortunately for me, an old vampire hunter was on Lothos' trail, just like I was on Olaf No-last-name's trail.Merrick saved my life, taught me how to fight, and showed me how to be a good person."

"He sounds like an extraordinary person."

"He really was," Buffy said and smiled at Patterson."I didn't even like Merrick when he first introduced himself to me.He was just some strange old man who babbled on and on about how I was chosen and in terrible danger.I had the vague idea that Merrick was some sort of lawyer and that there was a lot of money coming to me from a dead relative.So I went with him. I was _so_ lucky that he wasn't some serial killer or a crazy vampire or whatever."

"You were a kid."

"I was an idiot.And I needed a parent.My own were busy with their... hobbies.They never even noticed when Merrick took on all of those boring parental responsibilities that they hadn't bothered with in years.He mothered me _and_ my little sister."

Patterson snorted.She swirled her neat whiskey in its glass and took a sip."Were you happy?"

"Despite all of the vampire hunting and shoe making lessons, we were.Then Lothos caught Merrick alone and turned him to punish him for helping me.Merrick escaped Lothos but he was a ravenously hungry fledgling.He was out of control.He'd beg me for just a sip one moment and then order me not to be an idiot the next.I'd staked lots of vampires by then but it was _Merrick._ I could never kill him and he knew it.So he killed himself."

Buffy gulped mouthfuls of flavored slush and alcohol.The coldness of it made her head ache.

"I was so... lost after he died.I asked my parents for help but they just couldn't believe that I was being stalked at all, much less by a member of the undead blood brigade.And then Lothos discovered my name and invaded my dreams and invited himself to the spring fling.And that was when I snapped."

"I don't blame you.No one should have," Patterson said, her voice hard."I'm a grown woman with a gun and I would've snapped well before that."

Buffy smiled, remembering how fierce and determined and, eventually, triumphant she had felt that night."The funny thing about burning down a school building is that no one wants you to enroll in their school after the school without a gym finishes expelling you."

A burst of startled laughter escaped Patterson."Was Lothos still in it at the time?"

"Mhmm.My father sent me to a mental institution, my mother baled me out, and they got divorced.Irreconcilable differences over what to do with their vampire hunting, pyromaniac daughter.Dad even said so before he took off for Spain with his secretary, not to be heard from again until she dumped him for a bull fighter with broad shoulders, fantastic calves, and not an ounce of fat."

Patterson laughed."How do you know about the state of a particular Spanish bull fighter's calves?"

"I looked up pictures," Buffy said defensively."Hank came home in time to inflict the worst Thanksgiving ever on us.I was curious."

"What happened with that other stalker?Angel?Angelus?"

"Well... My mother, my sister, and I ended up moving to a sweet little town that looked like something right out of _Leave It To Beaver_ but it had an out of control supernatural population.There were forty-three places of worship and half as many cemeteries and the locals needed every inch of holy ground that they had.The mayor was over a hundred years old and regularly made deals with demons.He was only a small massacre away from becoming a demon himself.The Master of the City was bat-crap crazy and alternately wanted to summon an army from hell and industrialize murdering humans for their blood.Witches frequently called up demons, stole people's bodies, and generally loosed mayhem on the locals.My first week of school, they found three separate bodies stashed in three separate lockers on three separate days.They were just kids who'd stayed after school and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.My high school had a weekly obituary column for its students.The town needed a vampire hunter and I was the best they had."

Patterson cursed."It sounds like a hell hole.Literally."

Buffy laughed.It was not a happy sound.

"Angel followed me into that hell hole.He set himself up as first an information guy and then my friend and then my first serious boyfriend.He helped me and listened to me and I fell desperately in love with him.He stalked me and manipulated me so cleverly that, even after I'd let him take my virginity and the shit hit the fan, I didn't realize what he'd done until years later after I'd moved away, grown up a bit, and gotten lots of therapy."

"But you grew up.You survived dating your stalker."

"Barely. About a hundred and fifty years ago, he fell in love with this seeress named Drusilla.Angelus stalked her for months.He tortured and killed everyone she had ever known - her fiancé, her family, her friends, people that she brushed shoulders with on the street.Eventually, she sought sanctuary in a convent."Buffy closed her eyes, remembering what it was like to be seventeen and desperate."Drusilla used to sit in the tree outside my bedroom window and whisper to me about watching him murder the other nuns; about the things that he did to her before he raped her and turned her on the alter in the convent's chapel.At the time, I thought she was tormenting me.Now that I'm a little older, I know that in her own mad way, Drusilla was trying to warn me.Dru was his greatest masterpiece, you see.He planned to do even worse things to me."

"But you killed him before that could happen?" Patterson guessed.

"He stalked my friends and family.He killed my best friend's fish and brutally murdered one of my favorite teachers and left her in my favorite teacher's bed.He was following the same pattern with me as he'd used with Drusilla and I knew what was going to happen next.But, unlike poor, mad Drusilla, I ran towards him, not away.I hunted him down, we fought, I gutted him like a fish, and he died."

There was a short silence where both women ordered second drinks and thought their own thoughts.

"After things simmered down a bit, I pulled a few favors and got Olaf's files," said Agent Patterson."He tortured, raped, murdered, jointed, and even ate dark-haired women all over the world.I used to sit and look at the pictures for hours and think, 'This could've been me.And that too.'"

"I get that.After I knew how much trouble I was in, I used to look at Drusilla and think that.I still do sometimes."Buffy knocked back a mouthful of vodka."If we're testaments to anything, it's that people can survive anything if they want to.We're fucking monoliths of determination."

Patterson's full lips twisted into a grin.She held up her scotch.

"To being monoliths," she said as their glasses clinked together.

 

 

**#080 Party**

“Whoa!A Renaissance party and you didn't invite me?”Buffy pouted at Asher extravagantly.At any other time Asher would have laughed and kissed her and bantered with her.At the moment, all he could do was stare at her in horror and wish that he had never given Buffy a key to the circus.Buffy continued to chatter brightly.“I love an excuse for a pretty dress and sexy shoes as much as the next girl!”

“Buffy!”Anita snapped.“Go home!”

Buffy beamed and made an obscene hand gesture with two fingers at Anita as she leaned up to plant a quick kiss on the side of Asher's chin.

Belle Morte’s representatives stared at Buffy with cool, calculating eyes.

Anita scowled.

“You are in Jean-Claude’s employ?” asked Musette with a certain terrible interest.

"Of course not," Buffy said.She was studying Valentina's shoes with predatory interest."Do they make those in adult sizes?"

"Maybe?" Valentina guessed, looking bemused.

“Are you fond of that creature?” asked Musette, directing the question to Buffy.

Buffy scowled.“That's a harsh way to talk about a little kid!”

Musette gaped at Buffy while the child vampires giggled.Everyone else did their best to be very, very still.

"Speaking of kids, why is there one kneeling by the fireplace?" Buffy asked.The friendliness had evaporated from her tone.She narrowed her eyes."And are there _bite marks_ on her throat?"

"Yes," Asher said heavily."Musette brought the girl from France."

"As what?A snack pack?Never mind.How long has this been going on?"

"That's none of your business," snapped Anita."Leave her alone.You don't understand what's going on here."

Buffy stared at Anita for several long heartbeats.Asher watched with trepidation as Buffy's expression smoothed into a terrifyingly chipper mask.A glance around showed Asher that he was the only one who found her good humor frightening.

 _Perhaps they'd be more concerned if they knew her to be The Slayer?_ Asher mused as he tried to remember if Buffy was wearing the set of boots with built-in sheathes in them or if those were some other pair.It went without saying that Mr. Pointy VI was sheathed at the back of her waist.

"And I suppose you think that you have everything under control?" Buffy asked Anita.

"Of course we do!Now go away before you make anything worse!"

"Okay."

And then, to Asher's shock, Buffy turned on her heel and briskly left Jean-Claude's sitting room.

Asher was no expert on vampire slaying but he liked to consider himself something of an expert on Buffy.And there was _no way_ that she was just going to be so calm and agreeable about Musette's choice of entrees.

Buffy slammed the outer door as she left the circus.

 _It can't be this easy,_ Asher thought while Anita and Musette traded poorly crafted barbs. ** _She's_** _not this easy._

He was right.

Forty minutes later, men in S.W.A.T. gear invaded the circus.

Buffy was with them.

 

 

**#054 Goddess**

When Buffy dropped from the ceiling like a large, particularly murderous spider, Asher was relieved to see her.At the time, Anita and Musette were arguing about who had a better claim on him.Between the public humiliation, the impending nonconsensual activities, and his bleeding gut wounds, the evening had been going poorly for Asher.

Buffy landed in a crouch, stake in hand.

"The State of Missori has authorized me to act on its behalf in the position of vampire executioner," Buffy said as she straightened.There was some sort of electronic contraption twisted around her ear.Her eyes were very cold."Everyone in this room is under arrest.Surrender immediately or face the consequences."

"I surrender," Asher gasped.He was kneeling on the floor and trying to hold his insides _inside._

 _"I_ don't," Museette purred.

"Go," Buffy said into her mouth piece and then exploded into action.

The front door exploded about five second after that.

Watching her fight, Asher could believe that Buffy was a Valkyrie, a goddess of destruction, death itself.

In a blur of movement too fast for Asher’s eyes to track, Musette's Angelito somehow ended up on the floor, his head turned to the side, with Buffy’s tiny foot crushing his windpipe as he scrabbled against the pave stones.

"No!" shouted Musette as she lunged toward Buffy.

Buffy backhanded her into a wall.Stone cracked under Musette's back and she slumped to the floor like a broken doll.She did not get up.

Under Buffy's foot, Angelito finally passed out.Buffy removed her foot before he died.

 _Pity,_ Asher thought as he tried to hold very, very still.

Buffy danced between the other members of Musette's retinue, savagely kicking one in the chest and viciously punching another in the throat. She was a blur of controlled violence.Inside of ten minutes, everyone was secured or beaten into unconsciousness and then secured.

Asher himself was loaded onto a gurney and taken to the hospital.

The last thing he saw, before the ambulance's doors closed, was Buffy whispering with Musette's girl.There was a smear of blood across one of Buffy's cheeks and a freely bleeding cut on her scalp dyed a patch of her blonde hair red.Her clothes were torn and stained and she was absently tossing and catching Mr. Pointy VI as she assured the frightened child of... something.

_Glorious.And **she** loves **me.**_

 

 

**#052. Evil**

Buffy was paging through a fashion magazine and waiting for the police to want or need her help with something when her spidey sense pinged.

 _Familiar and **evil.**_ Buffy perked up.Her eyes skimmed over the officers and lingered on the hallway leading to the interrogation rooms and holding cells. _It's not coming from... underground... They're in the sewers and getting closer._

Buffy bounced to her feet and went looking for Lieutenant Storr.He should have been easy to find.The man was as large as a house.Instead, she found Detective Perry.

"Something's coming," Buffy told him, cutting off his polite greeting."Something evil."

He stared at her.Buffy shrugged restlessly.

"I know it sounds crazy but you've got to believe me.Something wicked this way comes."

He hesitated then turned to the nearest desk."May I borrow your phone?"

He called a woman named Reynolds and asked her if she felt anything.Buffy shamelessly eavesdropped on both sides of the conversation as she tracked the... _things'_ progress.They were getting closer.

"Do you have sewer access anywhere in the building?" Buffy asked, interrupting Reynolds' rather confused assurances that she felt nothing unusual.

The detective's eyes darted to something over Buffy's shoulder before they refocused on her.

"I'm not sure," he said as Buffy turned to look in the direction that he had looked in. "I can find out."

There were a lot of people and desks and, at the very back of the room, was a pair of doors leading to the men's and women's restrooms.

"Thanks," Buffy said as she headed for the toilets.

Perry hung up on Reynolds.He hurried after Buffy.

"Miss Summers," he said as Buffy hesitated in front of the bathroom doors, trying to feel out which one her prey was going to come up in."I know that you're concerned but your concern is unjustified and- Hey!You can't go in there!"

Buffy, who was shoving her way into the men's room, shouted, "Cover it up, gentlemen!"

_Ssscccrrriiitttccchh!Sccccrrrriiitttcchhh!Thunk!Thunk!_

At the sounds of abused metal and men shouting, Buffy hurried past showers and toilets to the locker area, carelessly shoving half-dressed men out of her way.

In the locker room, two vampires were slaughtering half-dressed policemen with their bare hands and fangs and crude swords.Behind them were the shredded remains of an overly large locker.

To Buffy's senses the two vampires had a demonic taint very similar to the vampires in her home world.They were old, old, old.Achingly old.The part of her that made her the Chosen One rose up within her, fierce and eager.They were going to be a _challenge._

Gunfire rang out, doubling and redoubling in the enclosed space, as Buffy pulled Mr. Pointy from his sheath at the small of her back and one of the vampires tore a nearby policeman's throat out.The other was swinging a changing bench around.

She watched as the two fossils collapsed in a hail of bullets.When the gunfire trailed off, Buffy asked, "Did anyone use silver bullets?"

"No," Perry said, his breathing only slightly faster than before.The heaps of ancient evil began to twitch.Buffy watched as the demony vampires got better with breathtaking speed."They're not standard issue in this city."

"Too bad," Buffy said as one vampire jerked upright like a puppet whose strings had been pulled.

Buffy met him halfway.As the policemen around her shouted and the vampire laughed maniacally, Buffy slammed Mr. Pointy through his breastbone.

The cave-vamp cried out, his mouth wide and his fangs glistening.His scream all but drown out the other cave-vamp's roars.The staked vampire collapsed into a twitching heap.

Buffy scooped up his sword - _ugh, is this bronze?Whatever this thing is, it's weighted as gracefully as a water buffalo!_ \- and turned to block the other cave-vamp's blow.

Face twisted into a nightmarish mask, he bared his fangs at her in a horrid grin and brought his strength to bear.Buffy pushed back.The blades trembled and Buffy’s arm muscles burned under the strain.Buffy twisted her blade, breaking their swords apart.

The policemen had fallen back, outside of the locker area, which allowed Buffy to fight just as ruthlessly as the vampire.They hacked at each other and slammed each other into lockers.Buffy bashed him in the head with a bench and he kicked her through a wall.

They were both bleeding heavily when the vampire's heel roiled on one of the metal studs sticking out of the floor.(A desk had been fastened to the floor there.)

In a fraction of a moment, the tip of her blade dipped under his guard and rammed through his chest.He staggered and cried out as he fell to his knees.

Buffy borrowed his blade to hack off his head.She kicked it across the room, far away from the rest of the body.Leaving the corpse where it was, Buffy limped back the way that she had come.

The other vampire was still twitching and flailing on the floor of the (deserted) men's locker room.Either he or someone else had been trying to work Mr. Pointy out of his chest because the stake was only halfway lodged in it.Buffy fixed that with a quick beheading.When she took Mr. Pointy back, she replaced him with the sword.

 

 

**#070. Destruction**

Buffy would have been happy to lay down and call it a night.Unfortunately, she needed stitches.And to figure out where the police had gone.And someone needed to clean up the mess.

_Someone who is not me._

She repeated that promise to herself when she limped back into the bullpen.The desks were only so many splinters of wood or scraps of metal.Papers and blood were everywhere.And someone was probably going to have to install several new doors... or windows.

 _The only thing it lacks is a good fire,_ Buffy thought a trifle sadly.She loved a good fire.

From the hallway that led to the holding cells, Buffy could hear shouting and the sounds of blows.With a firm grip on Mr. Pointy's non-gory side (which was also, incidentally, the non-pointy side) Buffy slowly limped toward the ruckus, looking in each interrogation room as she passed it.Buffy was unsurprised to find them empty.Finding the key to the holding area and then jamming it into the lock and turning it all sounded like a lot of work to Buffy.

"Open sesame," Buffy muttered as she took a firm grip on the handle and twisted it.The enormous steel door swung open on silent hinges.The corridor in front of Buffy was empty.It took a sharp right turn.Hopefully, the cells were around the corner.It meant that Buffy could not immediately see the prisoners and that they, in turn could not see her.

There was a handy bank of video monitors near the doorway, however.

Most of the shouting and violence died down at the sound of the lock breaking.Well, except for Anita and Musette.Anita was cursing and shouting about how they would never get away with this.Musette was shouting in French at her minions to hurry up and free her.

Buffy, who was studying the video monitors, ignored them both.Some people looked a bit worse for the wear but everyone seemed to still be contained in his or her proper cell.Asher and Jean-Claude, however, did not seem to be among the incarcerated.

_Asher's at the hospital but where's Jean-Claude?_

Buffy asked her question aloud, relying on the vampires' hearing to get an answer.

Musette fell silent.

"He was being interrogated when the attack began," Meng Die called back."Also, your blood smells _fantastic."_

"What?"Anita demanded."Did they say something?What'd they say?"

While Jason murmured to Anita, Buffy said, "Thanks, Meng Die."

As Buffy turned to go, Musette called, "Free me and I will speak well of you to my mistress."

"If _any_ of you try to escape again, I will hunt you to the edge of this world and beyond it.And I'd like to remind all of you that outside of this country, no one's going to care if you die in screaming agony."

Buffy shut the door again.She used Mr. Pointy to wedge it shut.

Then she went in search of police people... and hopefully, Jean-Claude.

When she stepped outside, dozens of guns cocked.It was difficult to see past the glare of floodlights and headlights, but Buffy thought she could see the outline of a S.W.A.T. vest.

Buffy generously flapped her hand at the officers.She chose to interpret it as a wave.

"Hi.Problem solved."

No one came in closer.

"Seriously?"Buffy asked as she sat down on the pavement."Are there at least E.M.T.s? Or a doctor.I need stitches."

"She's bleeding profusely," Jean-Claude added from somewhere beyond the semicircle of lights.Buffy felt an unsuspected knot of worry ease and then dissolve entirely.Jean-Claude was there and alive and she was not going to have to hunt him down like a rabid dog.

It was a relief.

A hugely pregnant woman briskly slipped between the lights.She was followed by Detective Perry.As they got closer, Buffy could see that the woman had a kind face.She also had a first aid kit.

Buffy scraped up a smile for her.

"I'm Officer Tammy Reynolds."

"Buffy Summers."

Reynolds squinted at Buffy.Buffy, who was pressing gauze to her worst injuries, ignored it.

"That was very thoughtful of you," Reynolds said gently."It might make everyone feel safer if they knew what you are."

"Tough shit," Buffy replied."I follow the law and I saved your asses.That's all anyone needs to know.Okay, you also probably need to know that this isn't a freebie.But that's the only other thing that you need to know about me."

Reynolds pressed her lips together.

"Are you sure that they're dead?" Perry asked, getting back to business.

"Beheaded and a sword stuck through their hearts.Leave the swords in until after you burn the heads.Then do the hearts and then the body.And remember to scatter the ashes over separate bodies of running water.Those two were old enough to come back from nearly anything."

Reynolds paled.

Perry nodded.He made a gesture over his shoulder and the silhouettes began shuffling with more purpose.He leaned down, toward Buffy, and quietly asked, "Before anyone else gets here.... How did you know that they were coming?"

"Sixth sense," Buffy grunted."But not that one where you see things that aren't there.It's more like that thing Spiderman does."

"I'll look into it," Detective Perry promised.

She could practically see the man resolving to bone up on his superheroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	15. She dropped down from the ceiling like a murderous spider of death.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#041. Doctor**

A policeman came to visit Asher in his hospital room after the doctors had resettled Asher's organs, put in dissolving stitches, and made him comfortable.Asher, who was feeling a bit fuzzy around the edges from all of the painkillers that they had pumped into him, was disappointed to see the small, untidy man.

"Expecting someone else?" the policeman asked with a cheerful grin.He claimed the seat beside Asher's bed.

"Buffy," he admitted."After she gets done being The Slayer."

The policeman fumbled with his pencil.

"I don't think anyone mentioned anything about The Slayer during the arrest," he said carefully.

"Figured it out ages ago," Asher admitted to the dancing popcorns in the ceiling."Love her, anyway.But we don't talk about it."

"Why not?" asked the policeman.

Asher lowered his gaze to the man sitting next to his bed.

"Because it's her secret," he said and made shushing noises.

The human grinned.

"I won't tell a soul.Speaking of telling, why don't you tell me what happened in the circus tonight?"

So Asher told him.Happily.And it was even mostly in English!(Although the policeman seemed to follow the bits in French well enough.)When they got to the part about Musette's servant girl, the policeman had many questions.

"So you hadn't seen her when you went to get Blake from the cemetery but she was kneeling by the fireplace when you got back."

"Oui!"

"Already bitten?"

"Of course," Asher said."She could not have maintained that position and level of stillness if she had been bitten tonight.Blood loss."

"Ah.Right," the policeman said as he scribbled in his notebook.

He asked a lot more questions about Anita and Jean-Claude and the date that Asher had forgotten about when he found Musette on the Circus' doorstep.The policeman had put away his notebook when he asked, "Would _anyone_ have called the police if Summers didn't?"

Asher frowned, thinking hard.

"I do not know.I would not have.It seems impossible to me that the human laws can protect us from our makers.And I probably would not have been in a position to, regardless of who had won me."

 _"Won_ you?" asked the policeman, his eyebrows jumping.He got out his notebook again.

So Asher explained to him about Musette to whom torture served as foreplay and Valentina, who looked like a child but was Belle's favorite torturer.And he explained about hosting obligations and Belle's lust and Anita's claim on him through his old relationship with Jean-Claude.

The human was very attentive.He even took notes and asked questions like a proper student would.

"So you see," Asher said."If Musette had won me, my fingers would most likely have been too damaged to dial anyone.And if Anita had won me, I would most likely have ended up shot."

"Shot?"

"I would never have agreed to have sex with Anita," Asher confided."Buffy would never have forgiven me for that.And I would rather be loved than safe.Anita would have eventually tried to use Belle's lust to make me submit.But I was a member of Belle's court for nearly five hundred years, if you do not count the century I spent traveling with Julianna and Jean-Claude.It is painful, but I can ignore the pull.Not many can, you know.And when that did not work, Anita would have lost her temper and shot me. _Bang.Bang.Bang._ Anita does not know it but Jean-Claude would have been very angry with Anita."

"So would Buffy."

Asher gracefully waved his hand, brushing aside the policeman's foolish implications.

"Buffy would have told the police and volunteered to serve the necessary warrants.She does not harm humans."

"Jean-Claude does?"

"Jean has become a master of cruelty since falling in love with Anita," Asher agreed."He would have denied her what she values most and perhaps exiled her from his bed."

"And what does Blake value most?"

Asher shrugged."Not me.Not Jean, although it would hurt him to have to admit that, even to himself."

"Every man wants to be loved by the person he loves," Lieutenant Zebrowski said knowledgably.

"Exactly so, lieutenant."

 

 

**#036. Past**

"People are looking for you, Detective Zebrowski," Buffy said.

Asher looked up, surprised and pleased to see Buffy standing in the doorway.She was wearing a set of blue scrubs and blue booties.There was a long, shallow cut down one side of her face and a short one with stitches on her forehead.White bandages wrapped the length of her forearms and there was an enormous bruise forming under one of her short sleeves.

"What happened to you?" asked Zebrowski as he stood.

"An attempted jailbreak," Buffy said."One of the prisoners summoned her minions.They came up through the sewers and into the men's locker room."

Zebrowski cursed."Is anyone dead?"

"Yes.I'm sorry.I killed the vampires, both the ones that tried to do the jail breaking and the one who ordered it.A judge ordered the second under the exigent circumstances doctrine while I was getting first aid at the scene.And so long as I was there..."Buffy shrugged.

"I'm not really worried about them.Hey, are you alright?"

"I'll heal," Buffy said carelessly."But you're needed at the station."

"Thanks.And watch out.He's really out of it.And very, very talkative."

"Once in awhile, a girl likes to hear how much she's adored," Buffy said archly."Call me if there's anything I can do to help."

The policeman clapped her on the shoulder as he left.

And then Buffy was sitting in the seat next to Asher's bed and holding his hand and of course Asher told Buffy how much he adored her and that he was happy that she was not hurt badly during Musette's attempted jailbreak and that he had been so very, very happy when she dropped down from the ceiling like a murderous spider of death.

Buffy wrinkled her nose.

"Maybe I could be something cooler?Spiders are gross."

"Spiders are quiet," Asher assured her."And very menacing."

Buffy laughed.

"Asher?Would you tell me a story?Something about you and Jean-Claude and Julianna."

Asher hesitated, suddenly uncertain.He had the niggling feeling that this was not a topic that he was supposed to discuss with Buffy although he could not quite remember the reason why not.

"Perhaps something to do with that picture over the fireplace?The one with the three of you dressed up like Musketeers."

He loved her too much to ever deny her anything.

Asher told her about the painting and some of their adventures together.He told her about the court that he grew up in and getting turned and Belle Morte, both before and after he was scarred.

Buffy was just as good an audience as Lieutenant Zebrowski had been.

Asher was in the middle of a charming story about Jean-Claude's clumsy attempts to seduce him when he remembered why he had been hiding this part of his life from her.

“Buffy?” Asher asked, interrupting himself.He sounded frightened, even to himself.“Beloved, please.I cannot... I know that you must be angry with me but I cannot be other than myself.”

Buffy looked surprised.She gently smoothed his hair against the pillow with the hand that Asher was not holding.Even though movement made his stomach ache, Asher reached for that hand too.

He felt profound relief when she let him capture it.

“I'm not angry.But why didn’t you just tell me about Julianna and Jean-Claude?”

"Jean-Claude has told Anita about what we once had," Asher told Buffy's hands.They were so small compared to his own."She thinks less of him, and me, for it.She is disgusted... and jealous.Even the thought of us together makes her ill.It does not help either Jean-Claude or myself that I can't seem to let go of or hide my stupid, stubborn love for him."

"You're still in love with Jean-Claude?"

"Yes.But Jean-Claude is too frightened of losing Anita to acknowledge my affections or return them.And Julianna is long dead.If you could not accept my love for Jean… If you thought less of me for it… or spurned me..."Asher’s grip on Buffy tightened."I cannot bear to lose you or even your good opinion, my love."

"I'm not upset that you were in a ménage a trios with Jean-Claude before I was born, Asher," Buffy said.The swell of relief, of joy, in Asher's heart nearly choked him."You lived lifetimes before we met.So did I.The only part of your romantic history that I care about is now.You are still in love with Jean-Claude.Are you in love with Anita, too?"

"No," Asher said.Then, remembering a touchy point from Anita and Musette's negotiations, he lightly squeezed Buffy's hands and added, "I have not been lovers with anyone except you since I came to this country.There is only you, Buffy."

“But you’re still in love with Jean-Claude,” Buffy repeated, her voice rising on every word.

“You are at least halfway in love with Jean too, my heart,” Asher snapped.Her flinch made her captured hands jerk.“Oh yes, I am aware of what makes you and Jean so cruel to each other.”

Buffy yanked her hands from his.She was across the room before Asher looked up from his empty hands.

"I'm sorry," she said."But I've got to go.I need to think."

Then she was gone and Asher was left alone to weep for what he had lost.When the sun rose, Asher was grateful to die for the day.

 

 

**#039. Funeral**

Asher kept track of the small, untidy detective who had come to visit him in the hospital.He did it partially because he liked the man and partially because he knew that sooner or later the man was going to come by to discuss what Asher had blabbed to him while on the painkillers and partially because it served as a distraction from the gibbering mess lying in wait at the back of his head.(If he did not think about it, he could get by without doing anything stupid or self-destructive or both.)

In the present climate, Asher had a great many other things to think about.

Jean-Claude's territory was arguably ripe for the taking.None of them (save Buffy) were in a stable legal position.Opinion in the ranks was sharply divided between those who loathed Buffy for involving the human authorities (Anita) and those who were grateful for the interference (Asher).There was a media frenzy feeding off of what was being termed The St. Louis Massacre.(The Slayer was an overnight celebrity.Too bad for the public that Buffy seemed to have no interest in being known or acknowledged by those that she protected.)Jean-Claude needed him as a subordinate, a veteran of the Vampire Council's twisted games, a friend, and emotional support.(Emotions were one of the many things that Anita simply Did Not Do.)

The detective was also quite busy.The unit's leader, along with a large portion of its assigned personnel, had been injured during The Slayer's battle with The Mother's guardsmen.He had funerals to attend, hospital visits to make, investigations to head, and a unit to hold together.

The charges against Asher, and most of the other subordinates, had been dropped by the time the detective came around to Asher's office, unannounced.

Asher arched his eyebrows at the man's rumpled suit and frankly appalling tie.The detective grinned at Asher as he claimed one of the seats in front of his desk.

"Don't suppose you'd repeat any of that stuff from the hospital while in your right mind?" Zebrowski asked, sounding playful as he cut right to business.

"Never."

The policeman shrugged.

"It was worth asking.Does Blake know about... all of that stuff?"

"She has taken to it like a shark to water," Asher assured him.

Zebrowski fiddled with his notepad and frowned.His looked distressed.

"And Summers?"

Asher laughed even though there was nothing funny about the question.

"No," he finally said as he wiped his tears away.He told himself that they were tears of mirth."She is entirely unsuited for vampire politics.And she has no motivation to learn them."

Zebrowski's eyebrows quirked.

"No motivation?" he delicately inquired.

Asher hesitated.As far as he knew, he and Buffy were still linked, romantically and otherwise.But it had been a very long week.

Asher was nothing if not faithful.

"It is not with Buffy and I as it is with Anita and Jean-Claude," Asher said at last.Rather than looking at the detective, he studied his hands where they were splayed across his desktop."Anita loves Jean-Claude but she is not adept at demonstrating her affections to their object.Most often, she expresses her devotion by doing whatever it takes to secure the wellbeing of its object and overlooking the legality, morality, and righteousness of either of their actions.Buffy is the opposite.She loves me deeply and she is adept at expressing her affections for me in large and small ways every day.But I know that as much as she loves me, she loves her honor more.She would not preserve my life at the cost of failing to fulfill her duties and should I ever cross her nonnegotiable lines she will enforce the warrant of execution with her own two hands.I do not believe that she will even hesitate in the performance of her duties."

"That must be hard," Zebrowski said.Genuine sympathy lined his voice.

"For Jean?"

"For you."

Surprised, Asher looked up.

"Me?I am fortunate enough to love and be loved by an honorable woman.Buffy would not love me half so well as she does, I think, if she did not love her honor more.And it is easy to avoid most of the things that Buffy considers nonnegotiable.The big ones seem to be: No attempts at world domination.No harming humans.No demon summoning or attempts to open the gates of hell."

"How often do those things come up in a relationship?" Zebrowski asked."I've been married twenty years and it's never come up."

"I would imagine that neither you nor your wife are vampires," Asher said simply."May I ask you a question in return, Detective?"

"Shoot."

Asher hesitated.

"Go ahead and ask."

"Anita often complains that she is distrusted for her relationship with Jean-Claude.Will you hold my involvement with Buffy against her?"

Zebrowski gasped an uncomfortable laugh but said, "It depends on if it affects her work."

"It won't," Asher said firmly."Buffy would never allow it."

Zebrowski grinned."Yeah.I'm starting to get that impression."

 

 

**#031. Friends**

A week after the Vampire Meet And Greet Of Insufficient Doom, Buffy knocked on the door to the Circus’ underground lair.Under her fist, the (temporary) wooden door buckled.In the distance, Buffy could hear the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.Even though she _knew_ that Asher was supposed to be working, Buffy prayed that someone other than Asher was running for the door.

“Buffy!Come in!I didn’t think we’d see you so soon.” Jason exclaimed as he yanked the door open.He was shirtless, barefoot, and recently bitten.He lunged forward to catch her wrist and hastily added, “Not that you’re not welcome!You’re very welcome to visit any time.But Asher isn't here right now and–”

“No!”Buffy yelped.“No.I’m… er… here to see Meng Die, actually.”

Jason stared.

Buffy shuffled her feet, suddenly wondering if the whole Highlander sword-in-the-jacket deal would really work and if Adrian Paul used weights on the other side of her jacket to make it hang right.

_Or maybe he carries an identical blade on the other side.And why is he still **staring** at me?_

“She knows some martial arts.I know some martial arts.And I know that she has tonight off and I… er… thought I’d invite her to spar with me.If she’s bored.And has time.”

Buffy knew a lot of people.She had a lot of casual friends.But Meng Die was the closest thing Buffy had to a very durable friend to blow off a little steam with.And, even if she did not understand Buffy's exact problem, she would at least understand using violence to sort it out.

“Meng Die.”

“Yeah.”

“Not Asher.”

Buffy flinched.“No.Not Asher.”

_Replacements don’t cry.It’s a matter of pride._

She bit the inside of her cheek so hard that it bled.Jason made a strange sort of hissing sound through his teeth.

“All right,” he huffed.“Come in.You can wait in the sitting room while I go find her.”

Buffy nodded and followed him to the living room.

She stared at the picture of Jean-Claude, Julianna, and Asher over the fake fireplace.They all looked very happy and oddly innocent.

_But why not?They were all young and in love and on a romantic adventure.Asher was both Jean-Claude and Julianna’s first love.And he was devoted to them.He said so.Why wouldn't they look young and untouchable and deliriously happy?_

Meng Die was delighted to spar with Buffy.It was a fun workout and Buffy promised to come by later the next night so that Meng Die could spar with her after work.

The next night, Buffy arrived a little before Meng Die got off of work.She studied the painting and ignored Asher’s lingering presence in the next room since he never actually appeared.When Meng Die strode into the room, Asher’s presence disappeared all together.

The third night Buffy came to spar with Meng Die, she wondered how secure Jean-Claude, Asher, and Julianna had to be to make the ménage a trios thing actually work.She wondered if Julianna had ever felt that she was not enough or had boundaries that could never be crossed or had ever worried that she was second to Jean-Claude or Asher in the other's affections.

Buffy worried about those things.A lot.

Asher and then Meng Die’s presence registered with her Slayer sense, ending Buffy's contemplation of Julianna, who may or may not have been more secure than Buffy herself.

The workout that night was much more savage and brutal on both sides.Afterwards, Meng Die sighed with relief.

“Thanks.Tonight was… awful.”

Buffy flashed a satisfied smile.“No problem.I’ve been waiting to fight with you all day.”

Meng Die mouth quirked.“Bad day?”

Buffy shuddered.“One of many.In a row.”

They lapsed into companionable silence.Finally Meng Die got to her feet.

“The sun will be rising soon.Tomorrow night?”

“I’d like that.”

The next night Jean-Claude was waiting for Buffy in front of the painting.His eyes were literally glowing.Buffy ordered herself not to be impressed by the local party tricks.

“Have you finished punishing him yet?”

 

 

**#059. Fight**

“I'm not punishing Asher.This was never about Asher.”

Jean-Claude actually growled at her.

“You are not a coy creature.Do not pretend that things are other than they are.It is wrong to punish Asher for falling in love and being happy centuries before you were even born!”

Buffy wanted to pout and make a quip.Unfortunately, all she could scrape up in terms of emotions were awkwardness and hurt and defensiveness.

“Saying that a tomato is a werewolf isn't going to make that tomato a werewolf!"Buffy snapped."Stop making tomatoes into werewolves!"

Jean-Claude blinked.And stared.He finally asked, "So... what were your meetings with Meng Die actually about?"

"Stress relief.And having a space to work things out in.It’s not like I can go out and kill things until I feel better."

Jean-Claude actually looked a bit surprised… and disturbed.Buffy decided that not to care about that.

"You feel badly?"

"Yes!"

"But you are not angry with Asher?"

"No."

"And you are not upset about Julianna and I?"

"No."

Jean-Claude narrowed his eyes at Buffy."You are lying."

"Not directly?"Buffy said, trying again."It's about you but not really about _you."_

Jean-Claude looked bewildered."How can that be the truth?"

"I get that people can't help who they fall in love with.And it's nice that you and Asher are the kind of men who get along well with your exs.And I'm not upset that he did stuff before I knew him.Frankly, I'm relieved that you three were off being silly and having improbable sex in inadvisable locations instead of burning down Europe or massacring orphanages or whatever.I have... _I'm_ just... It just brought up some of _my_ stuff from before I met Asher.And I need to work that stuff out."

Jean-Claude studied Buffy through narrowed eyes.At least they were no longer glowing.

"And violence helps you to reason through your... _stuff?"_

"It's more the _doing,"_ Buffy admitted."I mean, I do my best thinking when I'm meditating but I've got to be calm to meditate.And I'm not calm."

"But you will be after you fight?"

"Yes.Probably.I'll feel better from the endorphins, if nothing else."

"Very well," Jean-Claude said."I'll be your opponent tonight."

Buffy squinted at him."Do you know any martial arts?"

"I have some small skill with a sword," Jean-Claude reminded her.

"Oh.Yeah.That's good too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR


	16. It hurt like hell.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy leaps into Glory's portal... and lands in the Mississippi River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I have no rights to or within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Anita Blake franchises, copyrights, characters or trademarks. This is for fun, not profit.  
>  **Thanks to:** Oroburos69 for her hasty beta work. All remaining mistakes are my own.

**#023. Pride**

_'Small skill' my ass!_ Buffy thought much later.  She was laying on the hardwood floor in the room that they had been dueling in.  _If Angelus or those knights or that hell-bitch had fought like that, things might've worked out very differently._

The only salve to her pride was that Jean-Claude was sitting on the floor nearby, leaning against the wall.  He was sweaty and disheveled and looked as tired as she felt.

Asher's familiar signature was prickling over the back of her neck.

 _There'll never be a better time,_ Buffy decided.

"I suck at relationships and my relationships with vampires always suck the worst," Buffy admitted to the shadows over her head.  Jean-Claude had installed electricity into the connecting series of caves that passed for his lair but ceilings, apparently, were only for certain rooms.  Buffy was grateful that all of the bedrooms seemed to have them.  "Pun intended.  Question the first, how does Asher feel about ending the world?"

Jean-Claude huffed a laugh.  "Shouldn't you ask Asher that?"

"You're here and you're too tired to escape.  Anyway, he's skulking somewhere near the ceiling."

She had the sense of a quick, sharp movement from the corner of her eye as Jean-Claude startled and asked, "How do you know that?"

Buffy turned on her side, the better to smirk at Jean-Claude.  "I have amazing vampire hunting skills.  Now answer the question."

"Ending the world and world domination both take a certain amount of aggressiveness and ambition that Asher simply lacks when it comes to power and material gains.  He wishes to be happy, passionately in love, and to be loved passionately in return.  He will do, or not do, whatever it takes to accomplish those goals.  And, since you are the focus of his love and happiness, he will not betray you."

Buffy, who already knew that about Asher, asked with careful nonchalance, "And what do you want, Jean-Claude?"

"This isn't about me," Jean-Claude said, his face a perfectly pretty mask.  "This is about you and Asher."

Buffy frowned.  Jean-Claude was exactly her type.  She could live with being halfway, or even completely, in love with him.  And she could live with Asher being in love with him too.  The three of them might even be very happy together.  But she absolutely refused to be even halfway in love with someone that she (or, more likely, her apprentice) was going to have to kill someday.  There was never going to be another Angel in her life.

"Fair enough," Buffy gritted.  "Question the second, does he love me as much as he loves you and Julianna?"

Jean-Claude snorted inelegantly.  “Asher adores you.”

“I adore chunky monkey ice cream but that doesn’t change the fact that triple fudge is my favorite.”

“You are not an ice cream!  You are the woman that Asher wants most in the world!”

“And you’re the man that he wants most!”

Jean-Claude gasped, as if Buffy had hit him, and hunched his shoulders as if it were an effort not to curl in on himself.

“You promised that this wasn't about that.  You promised that you weren't punishing Asher for having loved Julianna and I."

"I'm not!  But I don't want to be a replacement, either.  I can't stay with him knowing that I'm standing in someone else's spot."

“Who has told you these lies?” whispered Asher's voice from behind her.

Buffy sat up and turned to face him.  Asher's eyes were literally incandescent with his rage.

“Who?” He thundered.  “Meng Die?”

“What?  No!”  Buffy yelped, hating that she had to look so far up.  She stumbled to her feet.  “The only one who told me anything about your ménage a trios was you."

"You shouldn't have asked me about that!  I was out of my mind!"

"You would never have told me the truth otherwise!"

"I didn't want something like this to happen!"

"Nothing's happened!  I just can't be second!"

Buffy shouted back and then flung up a hand between them.  Raising Dawnie, even for a few months, had taught Buffy the value of controlling her temper during arguments.

She took several deep breaths. Asher's eyes stopped glowing.

When her wrath had subsided, at least partially, Buffy said,  "I don’t have to be the only one in your heart, Asher, but I cannot be second to anyone.  I can't stay with you if I'm just a convenient stand in for the ones that you really want."

"Do you really believe that you are worth less to me than Jean-Claude or Julianna?  Even after I told you how I adore you?"

Buffy shrugged.

"You were out of your mind.  At one point you called Detective Zebrowski a charming boy with a delectable ass.  And when he preemptively turned you down, citing his long and happy marriage as the reason why, you gave him step by step instructions for getting pegged by his wife."

Asher snorted.

"And I stand by my assessment.  He _is_ charming.  And anyone with an ass like that needs to be bent over and fucked occasionally.  It would certainly be to his wife's benefit.  And he'd enjoy it, too."

Buffy smiled wanly.  "So you meant what you said?"

"Yes, but I never meant to make you feel like you mean less to me than Jean-Claude or Julianna.  You are second to no one.  The thought of you hurt or lost to me destroys my poor heart."

"Asher... I'm not Julianna."

“No.  You’re not.  Julianna was meek, gentle, and dependent on Jean and I.  She could sing, dance, sew, paint, and speak six languages without butchering any of them.  You're incomprehensible, materialistic, violent, and could do very well without me.  You dance like a pulse.  And you may understand several languages but you butcher your native tongue.  Your shoe fetish borders on the unholy.”  Asher took a deep, ragged breath.  His entire body shuddered with it.  He pressed a hand to his chest. “But I adore you.  I was lonely and you found me.  I needed a friend and you were one.  I fell in love with you and you let me court you.  I’m yours – your monster, your lover, your man.  Are you mine?”

Buffy swiped her wrist roughly across her watering eyes.

“Yes,” Buffy blubbered.  "I really do love you."

Asher was on her in an instant, kissing her fiercely and then peppering her face was small, soft kisses as he breathed, "I don't want to end the world or rule it, Buffy.  I'm too lazy.  We could be happy together forever."

"No one makes me happier than you do, Asher," Buffy promised between kisses.

"We should make up," Asher announced.  "Sexually."

Buffy laughed.

 

**#071. River**

Buffy refused to make up with Asher in a room without a ceiling.Instead they kissed and giggled and sneaked through the Circus' hallways towards Asher's rooms.

Sometime during their conversation, Jean-Claude had slipped, or most likely floated, away.He was still close enough that he made Buffy's spidey senses tingle and, if she had really wanted to, she could have thrown something and hit him.But, as they got closer and closer to Asher's rooms, Jean-Claude's spidey signature fell further and further back and then dropped away entirely.

In Asher's rooms there were two portraits leaned against the wall.

The first was _hot._ Jean-Claude made a surprisingly gorgeous girl.

The other must have been made when Asher's scars were still tender and raw.Although Buffy suspected that smithing while naked was probably some sort of serious no-no in the world of blacksmiths, she had to admit that there was a certain hotness to that portrait too.

"I'm dating a Play Girl centerfold," Buffy said as she tried to imagine the blacksmith getting with the sneaking girl-Jean-Claude.It was very easy.Also, very hot.Or maybe Buffy was just feeling horny in general."Admit it."

Asher laughed.

"Centerfold no longer," he said with amusement.

"Damn straight," Buffy growled playfully between kisses as she turned and began to walk Asher backwards towards his bathroom... and its wonderful bathtub."You're happily settled down into a monogamous relationship with a wonderful, incredibly violent woman.The only one who is allowed to take dirty pictures of you is me."

Asher laughed.

"There, ah, may be a few others still in circulation."

"And by _'a few'_ you mean...?"

"A lot.Hundreds, possibly thousands," Asher admitted before kissing her belly.

"I've always been an avid collector," Buffy promised as she ran the water for their bath and added two capfuls of bubble bath to the clear river of tap water.He always ran the water too hot or too cold for her tastes.

"Really?"

"For a whole three minutes," Buffy promised him as they stripped and kissed each other. "Just so I know where to start, are there any more pictures like the blacksmith one?I, uh, like my men to be athletic."

Asher's eyes lit up.His grin was positively wicked.

"Maybe a few hundred."

The very best thing about having sex in a tub with a vampire was that he never needed to breathe.

 

 

**#029. Heartache**

The biggest downside to killing anything in this world was the paperwork.Regardless of whether the hunt was interesting or boring, there was always, always paperwork.And, when things like the St. Louis Massacre happened, there was extra paperwork in addition to review boards, court appearances, and governmental oversight committees.

Frankly, it was going to be a mess.And it was going to cut into her practice time.

On the bright side, Buffy also knew that there was going to be a lot of free food and chances to dress up which was always nice.And she was going to be too busy to think about the mess that was her relationship with Asher.

One night, while Buffy was sitting in the substation that was currently housing the RPIT and making some headway against her mountain of paperwork, she listened as most of the vampires and Anita whispered together about some Manny No-Air in serious, and even frightened tones.Only the high, carrying voices of the children discussed anything else.They seemed to want to stay in Jean-Claude's territory and they were willing to swear a blood oath to him to do it.

Buffy tried to give a rat’s ass about the vampires' Super Serious Issues.Mostly she was wondering how to describe a sense that most humans just did not seem to have.And she was feeling vaguely irritable.

_Why does everything have to be so damn dramatic?These vamps aren’t cut out for a real apocalypse._

It was sort of sad since Buffy knew that this place was heading for an apocalypse-level event under the Hell Goddess of Home Perms.

In front of Buffy, someone cleared her throat and said, "Buffy?Can I call you that?"

Buffy blinked up at the very pregnant detective in front of her.

"Sure.Uh..." She frantically ransacked her memories of that night with the uber-vamps."Tammy Reynolds, right?"

The other woman smiled at her.

"Yes.I was going to dinner.But I hate to eat alone.Mind keeping me company?"

"Uh, sure," said Buffy.Getting along with the locals was important, even if she was going to be leaving soon."Is there somewhere I can put my paperwork?I'm half-done and I'd hate to lose it."

"Sure.You can put it in one of my desk drawers."

Buffy put her paperwork into Tammy's desk drawer and went outside with her.

"Should we take your car or mine?" Tammy asked lightly.

"Yours," Buffy said, eyeing the other woman's baby bulge."My driving might send you into labor."

Tammy laughed.

They ended up at an old railway car turned greasy spoon.The paint on the walls was cracking and the linoleum underfoot was peeling but it smelled _divine._ As they claimed a table, Tammy assured Buffy that the pie was to die for.

Buffy ordered the continental breakfast which came on three plates and included a t-bone steak.Tammy ordered a sandwich and fries.And they both ordered the cherry pie.

While Buffy inhaled her meal, Tammy chattered on about baby clothes, her upcoming family leave, and her religion, the Followers of the Way.While Tammy's faith was not Buffy's thing, her religion seemed nice... and determined to do its best by a world that did not always want them.As a Slayer, Buffy respected that.

"So I've been doing some research in my coven's international archives," said Tammy."About people with your particular gifts."

Buffy stiffened.Her meal was suddenly sitting heavily in her stomach.

"The title of Slayer isn't one that should be taken lightly... or by someone without a claim to it.The Slayers, the one that all of the modern vampire hunters are based off of, sure sound... formidable.But then, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Buffy?"

"Maybe a thing or two," Buffy said dryly.

“Why aren’t you guarding the gates of Hell?” asked Tammy.She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table.Her eyes were intent."Or are we in danger of an apocalypse?"

Buffy hesitated.On the one hand, it was tempting to deny everything. On the other hand, Tammy Reynolds and her unflinching coven might be very useful allies to the one who was going to throw Anita out onto her ear, Buffy's apprentice Myka Cannon.Every hero needed a Scooby Gang.

"Deadly danger," Buffy admitted."But, from my perspective, it's already over and your people have saved themselves - or will save themselves - by casting the hell goddess out, into my dimension."

Tammy leaned back.She looked troubled.

"But that's just causing grief for someone else.Why didn't we solve the problem ourselves?"

"You _couldn't._ We're talking a being that was worshiped in hell as a goddess. Your best bet was to cast her into my world, where she eventually made her way to the mouth of hell... and me."Buffy shrugged."Some things just require a Slayer's touch."

Tammy's eyes were wide."You killed a hell goddess?"

"Only because I'm the Slayer and she made it necessary," Buffy said hurriedly, disliking the reverent tone in her voice. "She tried to break down the barriers between all of the worlds, blend them together, and destroy everything.Plus, she tried to dice up my little sister.She _totally_ had it coming."

Tammy nodded.She was quiet for awhile before she asked, "So you're from further down the timeline... after we rise up, save our world, and cast out this... Beast... ourselves?"

"Yeah," Buffy said and shrugged.“Things didn’t go as planned in that last battle.I ended up thrown back in time and into her home dimension, before her rise to power.It's been... weird.”

“How long have you been in this world?”

“Long enough to figure out how this place works.”

"It's wrong to ask to be spared a suffering, especially if it is necessary," Tammy said.She took a deep breath, "But weren't you ever tempted to save us from this heartache?"

"I _can't,"_ Buffy said."There are things that won't happen and people that won't exist if The Beast doesn't happen.There was a cosmically powerful entity in my world at that time.It was more powerful than The Beast could ever dream of being and it had even less interest in humanity.The Beast's coming caused it to change itself.It became human.In a weird way, The Beast's attempt to destroy everything actually made everything safer for everyone."

Tammy nodded and her shoulders settled.She said softly, "It is... heartening to know that our suffering will be such a great catalyst.Will you lead our rebellion, then?"

"No.I think I'll be fighting a different war on the Hellmouth, then.But I've been training up a leader for you.She'll need allies, of course.And witches to toss The Beast out."

Tammy paled, her hand drifting down to rest over her swollen belly.But her mouth firmed and her nod was businesslike.

Buffy smiled."One way or another, you're a hero and a champion of light, Tammy Reynolds."

"I'd always hoped to be.I just... never expected to have to bear such a load."She took a few deep breathes and settled her shoulders."But we're never given more that we can bear."

Buffy grinned."I'll try to remember that."

She actually meant it.Maybe there was something to this Followers of the Way business.

"I can't imagine that being conquered and ruled by a hell goddess or casting her out will be particularly good for the fabric of society or the social order," Tammy said."Will you be back to help us... clean up?"

Buffy shrugged."I don't know.If I can find my way back here, I will."

Tammy frowned."If you can find your way back here?"

"There are countless worlds, dimensions, alternate dimensions, possible dimensions, and dimensions without shrimp."

"Shrimp?"Tammy looked horrified."Are they hell dimensions?"

"That's what I said when I heard about it!"Buffy said cheerfully."Anyway, you have to have some sort of marker in a world to find your way back to it.The witches in my home dimension have access to my blood relations.But I don't have anything like that here."

"Isn't there any other way?" Tammy asked desperately."If we're to recover from becoming a hell dimension, we'll need a Slayer."

"My perfect match lives in this world.If he agrees to do a joining spell with me, and the spell takes, he'll be my marker in this world."

"Have you asked him yet?"

"He ran screaming," Buffy said gloomily."Except without the screaming.I'm hoping that he'll come back."

Tammy nodded.The color was returning to her face and her body language was becoming more resolute by the second.

"Well, if he doesn't change his mind or the joining bond doesn't take, we'll think of some other way to bring you back."

"Could you use, I don't know, a focus?"

"Do you have something in particular in mind?"

"There's a Spear in Tennessee that calls to me.I haven't retrieved it yet because, well, I haven't needed it yet but it's there."

"The Spear of Destiny?" Tammy asked.She sounded surprised."That's real?"

"Apparently."

Tammy nodded."That might work.It's a powerful artifact and it resonates with you.When are you leaving?"

Buffy shrugged uneasily.“Soon.I can't be here for her rise.I'd fight because that's what Slayers _do_ but that would screw up my own timeline since I'm a Buffy who has _already_ fought and killed her.”

The twitch of Tammy's eyebrows alerted Buffy to the fact that she had just made a terrible verbal slip.But Tammy just nodded."Don't worry.I'll see this through."

Buffy smiled."I never doubted it.Hey, when's your next, er, Way-meeting-thingy?"

 

 

**#093 Future**

Buffy was in a very good mood.  Her bank account was very healthy and the check from RPIT had cleared, making it that much healthier.  Immigration seemed to be looking at the little French girl and her family favorably.  And things with Asher were still wonderful, despite the slew of legal problems besieging the Master of the City and Anita.  Ted was still avoiding her but, since that was out of her control, Buffy refused to sweat it.

Instead, she prepared for the future as best she could.  She wrote entries in her newest journal, mostly addressed to her apprentice, and stalked Jean-Claude, who was also avoiding her.  Too bad for him that, unlike Ted, his cooperation was not essential.

Buffy ran Jean-Claude to ground in his office.  More honestly, she used her Slayerly abilities to lie in wait until he entered the room.  When Jean-Claude was far enough inside, Buffy sprang out of hiding and threw herself in front of the office door.  With the severe lack of windows in the room, Jean-Claude was trapped.  He was not nearly as pleased about that as she was.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Then you must schedule an appointment,” Jean-Claude said, his face and eyes pleasantly blank.  Buffy had met more expressive robots.  “I am very busy.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.  “You’re not.  I already checked your planner.”

Jean-Claude stared at her, his expression empty.  Irritated, Buffy snapped, "What's eating you, Gilbert Grape?"

Jean-Claude glared at her.  Buffy had no doubt that, were she generally susceptible to vampiric charms, there would be a nifty sensation to go with the expression.  Although he had acted to preserve Asher's happiness, Jean-Claude apparently refused to direct any of his own warm fuzzy feelings toward her.

"If you're that pissed at me, we should fence it out!"

"Not everyone finds comfort in gratuitous violence," Jean-Claude snarled in French, his shoulders stiff.  "I do not find relief in harming those that I love."

Buffy decided that, at least on one point, her seventeen year old self had been right.  It was easier to ignore a guy's Freudian slips than deal with them.

"Look, Jean-Claude, I need to ask a favor.  I'm going to be away for a bit.  A really, really long while, actually.  And I may not be able to get back here.  Ever.  Will you – ack!"

Jean-Claude, his long pale hands wrapped around her shoulders, slammed Buffy against the inside of the door again.  Buffy let him.

“How can you possibly speak so casually about abandoning him?”  Jean-Claude hissed, his eyes blazing.  “Asher loves you!  Trusts you!  He would give up everything for you and you would throw him away so casually?”

"It's not going to be so much a matter of leaving Asher as being forcibly taken from him," Buffy said carefully.  "Sometimes my dreams are prophetic.  This was one of those dreams.  I'm going to be needed at home."

"Surely, you will be able to visit and call.  Write, even.  And when you have finished your business there, you can return."

Buffy shook her head.  "When I go, I'll be incommunicado, possibly forever."

Jean-Claude stared down at her.  His grip on her shoulders tightened.

"Say no and run away!  Leave now, this very minute!"

"No one can outrun themselves, Jean-Claude.  I was born to do a particular duty.  If I'm needed, and I will be, then I'll do what needs to be done."

There was a beat of silence then, “Steps could be taken to extend your life and make you harder to kill.”

“Become his human servant, you mean?”

“So Asher has spoken of it to you.”

“I’m supposed to think about it.”

“But you plan to turn him down so that you may valiantly die as your calling demands.”  Bitterness laced Jean-Claude's words.  His eyes were hard and accusatory.

“It's... complicated,”  Buffy said and then smiled wryly at his expression.  "It's not like with you and Anita.  But, if I survive, I'll find my way back here one way or another."

"For Asher?"

"For Asher," Buffy agreed.  She took a deep, fortifying breath then pulls his hands off of her shoulders and took them in hers.  There was a painful shiver in her heart as she admitted, "among other people."

Jean-Claude went absolutely still for a heartbeat.

"Mademoiselle Buffy..."

"One way or the other," Buffy added grimly.  "But, if I was sure that I'd never have to kill you and you weren't with Anita, well... I'd be willing to try something like that out... if I didn't have to slay you, Jean-Claude."

Jean-Claude’s eyes were suspiciously bright.  And not with a murderous light, either.

"Is that why...?"

Buffy swallowed back her own tears.  She was a Slayer, damn it, and no vampire was going to see her cry.

“I need to know that Asher will be taken care of by someone who loves him,” Buffy said, her stupid voice wobbling.  Jean-Claude's hands were painfully tight on hers.  Buffy bit the inside of her cheek.  Hard.  “And you’re selfish enough to make him outlive me.”

Jean-Claude flinched.  Buffy kept a tight grip on his hands.

“Please Buffy,” he pleaded.  “Don't ask this of me.”

“There's no one else to ask.”

“Asher is only now beginning to forgive me for Julianna.  There would be no forgiveness if I forced him _twice.”_

“But you'd know that he exists somewhere and might find happiness with someone else.  That'd be enough for you, wouldn’t it, Jean-Claude?”

There was a short silence punctuated by Buffy's unsteady breaths.  Jean-Claude gently freed a hand from Buffy's death grip.

“I did not believe that you had the capacity for tears,” he said as he wiped away her tears.  “Very well.  It will be as you wish.”

"Thanks, Johnny."

Jean-Claude winced.  "Johnny?"

"I'm trying it out."

"Ah."

 

 

 

**#053 Good**

"Gaaah!"

Buffy, who had until that very moment been wearing a towel and dancing to the latest in bubblegum rock, scrambled for weapons chest that served as her coffee table.

Ted, who was leaning against the inside of her apartment door with his arms crossed over his chest, stared at her with a look that was half amusement, some judgment, and the slightest bit of interest.

"Good morning?" he offered.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you how to knock?" Buffy demanded.She waved a sword at him."I should stab you."

"But you won't."

"Probably not," Buffy agreed."But only because you don't have a Slayer's healing."

"Would I get it if we did that, er, joining magic?"

Buffy blinked at him.She said cautiously, "I thought you were definitively not into that."

"That was then, this is now."

"What's changed?"

Ted hesitated.He stared at her as if he could see whatever he was looking for stamped onto her forehead.Buffy stared back at him.

"Tell me what you've been up to."

"This feels like it's going to be a long conversation," Buffy said."I should put on clothes.Real ones, not a towel."

Ted nodded minutely."I'll be here."

In her bedroom, Buffy hurriedly changed into underwear, jeans, and a flattering pink sweater.She dragged a brush through her hair and put on a minimal amount of makeup.On her way back to Ted and the living room, Buffy paused long enough to check that the shutters were securely closed and the curtains were pulled shut before she stopped by the bed long enough to briskly pull the sheets over Asher.To that she added a couple of blankets from the closet.Then she went out to meet Ted.

He had been busy too.There was a steaming cup of coffee, perfectly made, and a heaping plate of slightly burned scrambled eggs and bacon waiting for Buffy on her kitchen table.

Buffy smiled at Ted."Thanks."

He nodded.

Ted sat catty corner to Buffy and watched her while she ate.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Idle chitchat?" Buffy asked.She slanted a look in his direction.Ted was expressionless, even grim."You?"

"Humor me."

So Buffy told him about graduating, her latest fencing and ice skating competitions, her most recent hunts, and her new apprentice, one of Pete's granddaughters.Pete himself had recently retired (again) and absolutely, positively refused to come out with her anymore.

"But he still does research for me," Buffy said brightly."So that's something, I guess.And I think that she's been doing pretty good.She seems like she's got a real talent for the work."

"Still dating the corpse?"

Buffy grimaced."Asher's not a corpse."

"He's dead during the day, isn't he?"

"Not to my senses, he's not."

"But it's still on?"

"Why do you care?Going ask me out?"

Ted grimaced."Buffy..."

"Ted, just say it.If it's work related, I'm not going to talk about it with anyone.You know that."

Ted snorted."Blake used to say the same thing."

"I'm nothing like her," Buffy said sharply."I mean it.If you need help, just ask."

"You're dating a bloodsucker.You know what's up with Blake."

"I don't, actually."

For the first time, Ted actually looked surprised.He even sounded it when he asked, "You aren't seeing the vamp?"

"I'm still seeing _Asher_ but I haven't been keeping up with Blake or the gossip on her or the vamp scene in general.All I know is that lately I've been getting more of her consults and executions."

"How is that possible?"

"Hey, I'm the original vampire hunter!"Buffy snapped, stung."It's possible for people to prefer me to Anita Blake!Not you, apparently, but _people._ Other people who pay me money when I go kill things with or for them."

"I didn't mean it that way," Ted said sharply."But you're living at the epicenter of this thing!How could you not know?Surely your boyfriend has mentioned it to you."

"We don't talk about things like that."

Anita Blake was one of the things that Buffy and Asher, by unspoken agreement, did not discuss.

"You're never even a little bit curious about what's going on in the supernatural world?"

"No."

Ted stared at her, his eyes hard and bright.

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" he accused.

"What's happening?" Buffy asked, striving to sound curious.

Ted glared."You _knew!_ How could you let this happen?"

"I honestly don't know what's going on or what's going to happen," Buffy said."I just know how it ends."

"How does it end?"

Buffy hesitated.

"If we do your joining magic, we'll be closer than if we were married," Ted said."We can't keep secrets from each other."

"Would this no secrets keeping clause apply to you equally?"

"...within reason."

Buffy arched her eyebrows at him.

"Fine.Yes."

"Someday, a younger version of me is going to kill Blake who will be known that time as the demon god Glorificus a.k.a. Glory a.k.a. The Beast a.k.a. the Demon Goddess of Real Bad Home Perms.The Glory that I met had been banished from her home dimension.And she figured that she could get home if she opened an uncontrolled inter-dimensional portal.It was supposed to bleed all of the dimensions together and destroy everything, everywhere."

"So you killed her."

"Uh... I'm not sure, actually," Buffy admitted."Things got pretty hairy at the end.One of her apocalypse minions opened the dimension while we were fighting.I mean, I know I kicked her ass and I vaguely remember throwing someone off of the tower that crazy built... But the portal was definitely open.So I, uh, closed it.And ended up here."

Ted stared back at her flatly."You fell in, didn't you?"

"Of course not!Cats _wish_ they had my balance, _especially_ during apocalypse season! I, uh, jumped."

Ted arched his eyebrows at her."Because that's so much better?"

"There's a certain amount of magic that goes into being The Slayer, which is probably why the dying after jumping into an inter-dimension vortex thing didn't take. And so I am a Buffy who has killed a demon god and come out the other side of it."Buffy shrugged."I was really surprised when I realized that this place was Glorificus' home dimension.We all just assumed that this place was always a hell dimension of unimaginable torment and suffering."

Ted's eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth tightened."And you're not going to try to change our future?"

"I don't think that I can." _Or want to,_ Buffy mentally added. _Because what would that do to Dawnie?Would she even exist?_ "I've done extensive time travel research and all signs point toward it being unavoidable."

Admittedly, by _'research,'_ Buffy meant _'watched a ton of popular movies with time travel as a plot point and also maybe read a few books,'_ but Ted did not need to know that.He was a stickler about the quality of his expert resources.

"I'd think that you'd want to keep an eye on her in that case?"

"Keep an eye on something that I'm not allowed to kill?Are you crazy?" When Ted huffed, Buffy thought to ask, "If we use the joining magic, are you going to try to kill her, Ted?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation."Is that a problem?"

"No.But decide quickly.I'm not going to be here for very much longer."

"We can do it when you get back from your trip."

Buffy shook her head.

"I... have dreams.Prophetic dreams.Sometimes.I'm going to be pulled back to my own world soon.If the bond isn't in place by then, we won't be able to create it.And if it doesn't exist, I'm not sure how this world is going to send The Beast to meet my younger self."

The skin around Ted's eyes went tight and pained as he asked, "How big a window do I have to decide?"

"Not big?"At his look, Buffy shrugged."It's not a scheduled thing.It's going to be really, _really_ soon, though."

Ted nodded.He stood, his chair legs dragging against the linoleum floor.

"I'll get back to you.Tonight.Tomorrow, at the latest."

 

 

**#046. Universe**

Buffy spent the day preparing to leave her current world for the one that she originally came from.It was depressingly simple, mostly because she dumped everything that she owned, including her bank accounts, possessions, and apartment, into her apprentice's lap.

"I'd always meant to get you a good axe when the time was right," Buffy said as she explained things to the younger woman."I'm just giving them to you a bit earlier than I'd anticipated."

After that, she went out to hunt down the ingredients for the spell of joining.Maybe it was a testament to the importance of that night, or a lingering side effect of the joining spell with Giles, Willow, and Xander, but she remembered how to cast that spell as clearly as she remembered how to cast the spell that had shown her the truth of Dawn.

By late afternoon, she was jittery with excess adrenaline so Buffy spent a few quality hours in her home gym.Ted never came by but Asher did.

"Is something the matter?" he asked while Buffy finished her cool down.

"Yes," she grunted."Wait a minute."

Asher was still and silent as Buffy finished up.When she was done, he moved as if he was a statue coming to life.

"Now?"

"After our shower?"

Asher nodded.He followed Buffy into the bathroom.Showering with Asher was as soothing as it had ever been.When they were both squeaky clean and toweled dry, Asher asked, "What has happened, my heart?"

"Nothing yet," Buffy said as she took his hand."Asher, I'm going to be leaving soon.If I manage to return, it'll be a very long time from now."

"Where are - You're going home, aren't you?"His hand tightened on hers.Asher frowned at Buffy."You're going back to that dimension that you come from."

"A witch from my world is going to kidnap me," Buffy said with a little grimace."Soon.I've been trying to get things in order all day."

"If we formed a bond--"

"You can't bond me, Asher," Buffy said, watching denial form in his expression.His hand jerked against hers."No one can.I've already been bound to the Slayer line."

"So that's it?" he snapped."You're going home and I just have to accept it?"

"Only for awhile!"Buffy assured him."I've found a way to find this world again even in a universe filled with worlds and alternate worlds and dimension without shrimp!"

Asher stared at her.His expression was blank.

"The shrimp-thing is a big deal if you like shrimp," Buffy said with a defensive hunch of her shoulders."You know how seriously I take my shrimp cocktail."

Asher snorted.Life and movement flooded back into his features.

"Yes, I do," he said, affection lacing his tone."You have no choice but to go back there?"

"None.A very powerful Wicked Witch is going to find me and pull me back there."

"And you are... needed there, too?"

"Yes."

"But you've found a way to get back here... to me?"

"Yes."

Asher engulfed her in a hug.

"Then I will stay here until it is time for you to leave," Asher murmured against her ear."I want to _know_ when you are gone from me, across the universe to save a world that I am not certain is worthy of you."

Buffy laughed."I _do_ love you, Asher.So, so much."

Asher shuddered against her.

"Let me tell you, show you, all the ways in which I love you," he urged."Every minute until you leave will be our last together."

"Okay."

 

 

Ted was lounging on her couch again.When Buffy glared at him, he produced coffee and donuts just like in the bad old days. He waited until she was caffeinated, and thus better tempered to say, "I'll do it.But I've got some conditions."

"Okay?"

"I won't be your slave."

"It's... not that kind of bond," Buffy said with a grimace."It's more like... compensating for each other's shortcomings.We'd be too close for there to be a master or slave between us."

"It doesn't sound like there'll be much privacy."

"There wasn't," Buffy said, remembering how it was with the others."But if we don't look into each other, we don't have to know."

"It sounds like you've done this before," Ted said.He sounded suspicious.

"I have.The others weren't strong enough to survive my true nature.It was killing them.So the bond unraveled."

"You didn't end it?"

Buffy shook her head."I didn't have to.We weren't suitable for a long term attachment so the bond dissolved itself.If you and I aren't a match, it won't last."

Ted visibly relaxed.

"But, assuming it worked, we give each other space," he said."We have private thoughts, private time, and private lives.Even private families if we want to have them."

"Okay."

"And after this, you don't get to keep all the most interesting hunts for yourself."

"Neither do you."

Ted nodded quickly. "And I can kill Anita if I want to, timelines be damned."

"If you can," Buffy said darkly.

Ted frowned at her.He looked insulted."I can kill anything."

Buffy grinned at hearing her own line in his mouth.This was _so_ totally going to work!

"Of course you can," she said, trying to sound soothing.It came out mocking."But neither of us kills each other's families, even if they aren't blood relatives."

"Deal," he said so quickly that Buffy knew he had someone in mind, too.

"Anything else?" Buffy asked.

"Nope.Let's do this."

Buffy grinned, buoyed by the feeling of it all coming together."Okay.But you get to be the stinky herb holder."

"Joy."

 

 

**#057. Star**

When the time came, Buffy went willingly.It was still really unpleasant.

One moment, Asher was the only tingle on the back of her neck.The next, there was an overwhelming sense of magic as black as death.It knocked the breath out of her, lifted her off of her feet, and whisked her away.Buffy fell between the stars with Asher's shouts ringing in her ears, The Slayer snarling under her skin and Willow's magic crushing the air from her lungs.

At the familiar sensation of drowning, of _dying,_ Buffy struggled, flailing and lashing out without direction as the magic blazed its way through her pores, into her ears, up her nose, and down her throat. Alone in the place between the stars, Buffy drowned in an ocean of magic and death.

Creation whirled around her and Buffy had the impression of a jackal-headed man, carrying a set of ancient scales and a feather, and a terrible creature with a thousand trumpeting tongues and ten thousand sharp wings, burning with righteous fury. A tongue licked her, or perhaps more than one did, and Buffy felt something harden within herself, shattering the fetters of mortality.

The black magic enveloping of Buffy flared high, incinerating her from the inside out and freezing her from the outside in.The magic burned itself out with one last, gut-wrenching yank and Buffy fell away from them, screaming and flailing.

She fell down, down, _down_ from an unimaginable height and landed on a sand dune.

It hurt like hell.

For an immeasurable slice of time, Buffy lay still and tried to remember how to breathe.When she mastered that, Buffy tried to sit up.She gave that up as a bad idea after about three seconds.

 _At least I'm not drowning,_ Buffy thought.She turned her head, feeling the chains of her necklaces pull against her throat. _And I can get back to Asher and Edward someday.Probably.But first, getting back to Dawnie, Giles, and the Scoobies.Sit up, Buffy.Buffy, sit up._

Groaning, Buffy dragged herself upright.

_All right.Good job, Buffy.Now, stand up._

When Buffy stood, swaying on her own two feet, she took her first step toward Sunnydale.Then, she took another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Works Inspired By This One: CoverArt for Invigorating by SusanMarieR

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [CoverArt for Invigorating](https://archiveofourown.org/works/498645) by [SusanMarieR](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusanMarieR/pseuds/SusanMarieR)




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